Musculoskeletal Problems Among Greek Perioperative Nurses in Regional Hospitals in Southern Peloponnese

Abstract

The surgery unit is a particularly labor-intensive environment in the hospital. Studies reflect the correlation of labor risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries among nurses but few have investigated the relationship to perioperative nurses. The purpose of this study is the identification and definition of ergonomic risk factors in the operating room and their connection with musculoskeletal disorders in perioperative nurses in regional hospitals in Greece. Forty four Greek perioperative nurses working in regional hospitals in southern Peloponnese participated. Anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data, which consisted of three parts (investigating musculoskeletal symptoms, description of work, psychometric evaluation). The analysis was done with the statistical program SPSS.19. Symptoms of musculoskeletal problems emerged. Specifically, 54.4% in the lumbar, 47.7% in the neck, 45.5% in the shoulder, followed by smaller percentages of the hip, knee, elbow and ankle. 6.8% of participants indicated no musculoskeletal symptoms in the last year while 74.9% of those who had symptoms presented them in two or more areas. Activities rated as a major problem among others were the manual handling, tools with weight and vibration etc. 100% of respondents agreed that the work in the surgery unit is demanding and has anxiety. The lack of support from the government (81.8%), combined with the low perioperative nurses (6.8%) having the opportunity to participate in administrative decisions concerning them were related to problems in the organization and management of work. Apart from engineers target factors, a main aim should be the organization of work within the framework of a national policy based on European directives on the protection and promotion of the health and safety of workers.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among perioperative nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…1) The studies were published from 2007 to 2019. They all used a cross-sectional design but Bakola et al [29] that used a prospective design and Keriri et al [20] that added a nested case control study to the cross-sectional design. The total sample of perioperative nurses included was 3405; most were female (77%), with a mean age of 37.8 years.…”

Relationship Between the Exposure to Occupation-related Psychosocial and Physical Exertion and Upper Body Musculoskeletal Diseases in Hospital Nurses: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) refer to the state of discomfort, disability, damage, or persistent pain in support systems, including the nerves, muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and blood vessels [1]. Musculoskeletal diseases are widespread worldwide and are considered to be a major occupational injury, both in developed and developing countries [2,3], and the prevalence is especially high among nurses [4,5]. Saberipour B et al [2] and Habibi E et al [6] reported a prevalence rate of 84.2% and 87.6% for musculoskeletal diseases among Iranian nurses, respectively.…”

A workplace stretching program for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in perioperative staff: A mixed methods implementation study

“…Because of the nature and frequency of the tasks performed, musculoskeletal disorders are particularly common in perioperative staff 3,18 . In this study, 88 per cent of participants had experienced musculoskeletal discomfort (aches and pain) in the last seven days.…”