The repetitiveness of priming and dismantling disposables for haemodialysis treatments might be an important contributor to musculoskeletal complaints. The objective was therefore to compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses in Denmark and Sweden. Methods. For this cross-sectional study, nurses were recruited from haemodialysis centres in Denmark (n = 194) and Sweden (n = 351). Prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints was evaluated using the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. Results. The percentage of nurses reporting musculoskeletal complaints from at least one part of their body was 90.2% in the Danish sample and 88.9% in the Swedish sample. The anatomical locations with the most complaints were the neck, lower back and hands. Except for the proportion of complaints concerning the neck, there were no differences between the countries. Absenteeism from work was mostly due to complaints regarding the hands. Conclusion. The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints seems to be higher among haemodialysis nurses than among nurses in general. Because complaints concerning the hands are common, and also related to absenteeism from work, it is of particular importance that manufacturers of dialysis equipment and nurse managers acknowledge these occupational health and safety hazards in their efforts to create a good work environment.

SUMMARYBackgroundOne in every two haemodialysis nurses has reported musculoskeletal complaints concerning their hands, which is twice that reported for hospital nurses in general. It is possible that there is an association between the materials used by haemodialysis nurses and the occurrence of hand complaints.ObjectivesTo examine the association between the type of dialysis machine and disposables used with the occurrence of hand complaints among haemodialysis nurses. To compare occupational risks of developing work‐related musculoskeletal disorders based on the materials used for haemodialysis.DesignCross‐sectional.ParticipantsTwo hundred and eighty‐two nurses working in 27 haemodialysis centres in Sweden participated in a survey, and 19 nurses at five centres were observed during priming procedures.MeasurementsNurses supplied demographic data and answered the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Centre level data regarding machines and disposables used for haemodialysis during the past year were also collected.ResultsThere were no differences in the prevalence of hand complaints based on the type of haemodialysis machines, dialysers or tubing used. There were no differences found in physical exposure to the hands during priming, based on machine type used.ConclusionThe results of this study could not reveal any association between disposable materials used and the occurrence of hand complaints among haemodialysis nurses. Additionally, there were no occupational risks detected based on the types of machines used. Hence, the results of the present study strongly indicate that a deeper ergonomic analysis of the work environment is needed to understand the prevalence of hand complaints among nurses working in haemodialysis settings.

BACKGROUND: Haemodialysis nurses have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints, but the reason for this is yet unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to carry out an exploratory analysis of the work situation of haemodialysis nurses from an ergonomic perspective. METHODS: Non-participant observations and reflective discussions to assess the work environment and explore possible potential hazards contributing to musculoskeletal complaints were conducted among nineteen nurses at five haemodialysis centres. Additional reflective notes from the observer’s experiences and progress in the field were made. Analytic integration was applied to merge the collected data. RESULTS: Eight haemodialysis work tasks believed to increase the risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal complaints were identified. Different types of musculoskeletal complaints, mainly in the upper extremity, were mentioned. The design of the dialysis machine used and the physical demands of repetitive work procedures were implicated. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings add to the understanding of the work-related factors that contribute to musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses. The findings support the hypothesis that there might be an association between materials used and the development of work-related complaints involving the fingers, hands and wrists of this population. Repetitive work tasks that have an impact on the development of musculoskeletal problems need to be further investigated.

The work environment at haemodialysis centres is demanding, with high workloads, both physically and mentally, for nurses. The nature of haemodialysis, characterized by high dependency (Thomas-Hawkins et al., 2008), has changed over time, but the overall duration of nursing care needed per work shift has not. In recent years, more patients have started performing self-care activities, thereby reducing nurses' workloads, but at the same time, the proportion of older people with dialysis needs and high care dependency has increased steadily (de Kleijn et al., 2020). The pressure on dialysis centres is expected to rise even further, as the worldwide need for dialysis treatment is steadily increasing (Thurlow et al., 2021). The psychological work environment for haemodialysis nurses is recognized as being stressful and intense (Hayes & Bonner, 2010) and a plethora of studies have demonstrated medium to high levels of burnout (e.g.,