Associations between materials used and work‐related musculoskeletal hand complaints among haemodialysis nurses

Abstract

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.

Work-related musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses: An exploratory study of the work situation from an ergonomic perspective

“…The experienced resistance when opening and closing the clamps on the bloodlines was described by the haemodialysis nurses' as giving discomfort or pain in the thumbs and fingers. Although the nurses expressed potential differences between various manufacturers, in the study by Westergren et al [10], no significant differences in the number of clamping grips used were found. Similarly, the act of connecting the patient's access to the dialysis machine's bloodlines also generates a certain resistance with the rotational movements.…”

“…It suggests that an emphasis should be placed on preventing priming related hand complaints when designing and planning the daily workflow. Previous research has revealed that there is a significant difference in the required number of twisting/turning movements performed during the priming procedures with the different machine types, but this does not seem to have a relationship to the development of hand complaints among haemodialysis nurses [10]. An attention-grabbing finding derived from the reflective dialogue was that the exact site(s) of the hand complaint(s) varied depending on which dialysis machine was used.…”

“…The reason for the high prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses is yet unknown. It has been hypothesized that there might be an association between the type of machines and disposable materials used and the occurrence of hand complaints, but this was not empirically supported [10]. As we have failed to identify any studies exploring the work environment's role in the development of musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses, this study was designed to identify the work activities the nurses believe could increase their risk of developing musculoskeletal complaints.…”

Haemodialysis nurses' occupational health and work‐related musculoskeletal hand pain after work: A cluster analysis

“…Patients are getting more involved (de Kleijn et al, 2020 ) and for each patient who prepares their own machine, the number of hand twists/turns that a nurse needs to make during machine preparation will decrease. The number of hand twists/turns saved depends on the machine type used (Westergren et al, 2020 ). Still, every twist counts, as work tasks performed more than ten times a day increase the risk of developing work‐related musculoskeletal problems (Serranheira et al, 2015 ).…”

“…The main stressors are time management, treatment complications/emergencies and technical problems (Karkar et al, 2015 ; Vioulac et al, 2016 ), but coping with patient deaths is also associated with high levels of stress (Lee & King, 2014 ). Further, the materials needed for providing treatments to patients are assumed to contribute to the high prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses (Westergren & Lindberg, 2022 ; Westergren et al, 2020 ). To protect their wellbeing, haemodialysis nurses develop several coping strategies (Cousins et al, 2020 ).…”