Working conditions, ergonomic risks and their effects on the health of nursing personnel

Abstract

Background: risks related to posture, strain, fatigue and stress are capable of affecting the health of healthy people or worsen pre-existing injuries. Aim: to describe the occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries and ergonomic working conditions in the nursing staff of a public institution in the Buenos Aires suburbs. Methods: an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out between March and May 2022 in nursing professionals of a public institution of the Buenos Aires suburban area. The sample consisted of 40 nursing professionals. Results: 70 % of the sample belonged to the female sex. The mean age was 43,45 ± 1,51 (range: 24-58). Thirty percent had pre-existing health problems, while 17,5 % had health problems caused by the work performed in this service. Injuries to the neck, upper back, lower back, and one or both ankles/feet stand out. The predominant work regime was interval work with rest breaks in 57,5 %, and 42.5 % reported that it was continuous. 77,5 % indicate that there is some potential environmental risk, where physical (45 %), mechanical (25 %), biological (22.5 %), psychosocial (20 %), ergonomic (17,5 %) and chemical (15 %) stand out. Conclusions: it can be concluded from the findings of this study that the causes of musculoskeletal disorders in nursing staff may be multifactorial, as are the solutions to this problem. In general, the staff was exposed to sound, mechanical and visual hazards