Ergonomics Department

Healthcare workers, namely registered nurses (RN), are frequently exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) risk factors. Identifying the symptoms of these disorders is one of the first epidemiological steps to managing them. This study aims to identify WRMSDs prevalence symptoms in Portuguese RN. During 8 months (2010-2011) the National Public Health School and the Portuguese Registered Nurses Board made a call to all RN to answer an online WRMSDs questionnaire. Respondents (n=2140) are mostly females (77.4%) and work mainly in hospitals (n=1396) and in primary healthcare centers (n=421). Results show high symptoms prevalence (last 12 months) in the lower back (60.6%), the upper back (44.5%), and the neck (48.6%). Nurses' activity, especially patient hygiene in bed, is a strong contributor (p<0.05) to pain in the upper back (OR=1.39 [1.09-1.80]) and lower back (OR=1.4 [1.08-1.84]). Patient holdup without mechanical support has the highest relationship (p<0.05) between work tasks and symptoms in the last 12 months in the upper back (OR=1.50 [1.19-1.90]). Prevalence rates of WRMSDs symptoms in Portuguese nurses are no different from other studies with Swedish, Italian and Greek nurses. Maybe changes in healthcare systems didn't change the way care is delivered and we must rethink how to prevent nurses WRMSDs.

Since Portugal was one of the four countries participating in the first trial of IET, now IET is being tested in order to assess if it is a usable and efficient measurement tool in Portuguese hospitals. The IET is a single comprehensive measurement device for the risks of patient handling including organizational management factors. In this study the IET was applied in 8 wards with a sample of 126 nurses. The results showed that nurses perceived the organizational commitment as neutral on average. With respect to the musculoskeletal ...

In 1990 the European Union (EU) introduced a directive to protect workers against the risks involved in handling heavy loads. This paper reports on a benchmarking exercise to (a) investigate the implementation of the EU Directive on Manual Handling in the healthcare and social care industries and (b) gather expert opinions on the residual problems for patient handling in nine countries in the EU. Baseline data were collected about healthcare and social care systems, funding, implementation of the EU Manual Handling Directive and official patient handling guidance from government and professional organisations. It was found that the directive was implemented between 1992 and 1996 but relatively little research has been carried out to evaluate its impact in the healthcare industry. Only three countries had official national guidance on patient handling and there was little supporting research evidence for many of the recommendations. Expert opinions were provided to identify residual patient handling issues and barriers to safer patient handling in each country. These data have provided participating countries with an opportunity to both identify gaps, and work with other EU countries to address common problems.

Healthcare workers, namely registered nurses (RN), are frequently exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) risk factors. Identifying the symptoms of these disorders is one of the first epidemiological steps to managing them. This study aims to identify WRMSDs prevalence symptoms in Portuguese RN. During 8 months (2010-2011) the National Public Health School and the Portuguese Registered Nurses Board made a call to all RN to answer an online WRMSDs questionnaire. Respondents (n=2140) are mostly females (77.4%) and work mainly in hospitals (n=1396) and in primary healthcare centers (n=421). Results show high symptoms prevalence (last 12 months) in the lower back (60.6%), the upper back (44.5%), and the neck (48.6%). Nurses&#39; activity, especially patient hygiene in bed, is a strong contributor (p&gt;0.05) to pain in the upper back (OR=1.39 [1.09-1.80]) and lower back (OR=1.4 [1.08-1.84]). Patient holdup without mechanical support has the highest relationship (p&gt;...

As LMELT constituem um dos mais actuais e prevalentes problemas de saúde dos enfermeiros. O risco de LMELT resulta da actividade em enfermagem assentando, predominantemente, no levantamento, na movimentação ou no transporte e no (re)posicionamento de doentes, na repetitividade de gestos e na frequente adopção de posturas em ângulos intersegmentares extremos. A utilização de um sistema de autoreferenciação de sintomas pode constituir um meio de alerta na identificação das situações de risco de LMELT. Partiu-se de uma coorte constituída pela totalidade dos enfermeiros inscritos na Ordem dos Enfermeiros com os objectivos de (1) identificar, a nível nacional, a frequência de sintomas LMELT, considerando pertinentes os aspectos sócio-demográficos, assim como a caracterização de variáveis de exposição ocupacional relacionada com a sintomatologia nas diferentes unidades de saúde, e (2) caracterizar os factores etiológicos predominantes na ocorrência e distribuição dos sintomas músculoesqueléticos. Os resultados preliminares no final do mês de Agosto de 2010 (n=716), com representatividade nacional, denotam que a maioria dos enfermeiros respondentes é do sexo feminino (76,9%). A referenciação de sintomatologia músculo-esquelética distribui-se principalmente pelas regiões cervical (48,6%), dorsal (40,2%), lombar (58,6%), ombros (35,1%) e punhos (27,4%). Destacam-se como principais resultados a alusão a sintomas intensos (10,3%) a nível lombar e a presença de sintomas nos últimos 7 dias a nível da coluna vertebral (n=135 a 211), dos ombros (n=109) e dos punhos (n=75). O absentismo relacionado com as queixas nos últimos 12 meses é notório. Os sintomas estão muito ou totalmente relacionados com o trabalho de pé (59,8%), o inclinar o tronco (63,3%), o rodar o tronco (54,2%) e o levantar e deslocar cargas superiores a 10 Kg (58,6%), em particular a movimentação de doentes. De entre os enfermeiros, 67% refere sofrer de uma doença, destacando-se as hérnias discais (n=51), como a patologia mais frequente.

In the literature a patient transfer has been defined as a work task where nurses assist or lift a patient from one location to another or from one position to another. Using a safe work technique during patient handling is considered as one prevention strategy when integrated in multidimensional interventions. This study aimed to characterize nurses performance when accomplishing patient transfers applying DINO (Direct Observation Instrument for Assessment of Nurses’ Patient Transfer Technique). It was also intended to identify critical factors that influence nurses’ performance by using opinion questionnaires for professionals and patients. After the participants informed consent we carried out 40 observations in eight adult wards. Immediately after the observation of each transfer and the filling out of the DINO checklist, we applied the questionnaires to gather information about the nurse’s and the patient’s opinion of the carried out transfer. The DINO results can be observed i...