Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among orthopaedic nurses in Malaysian trauma centre

• Main Authors: Daud, Nurul Hurriyah, Majid, Norhaini, Che Hasan, Muhammad Kamil, Zulkarnain, Hakim, Hamid, Azmy A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lincoln University College, Malaysia 2024
• Subjects: RT Nursing; RT120.A-Z Other special types of nursing, A-Z; RT90.7 Primary nursing
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/114726/1/114726_Work-related%20musculoskeletal%20disorders.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/114726/; https://ejournal.lucp.net/index.php/mjmr/issue/view/168

Introduction: Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WMSDs) is one of the issues that constrain nurses from giving attention to patient care. Nurses should be healthy first to give optimum care to the patient. Various aspects of the job are some of the burdens that lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that can interrupt the workability of the nurses. Nurses are particularly at risk of developing WMSDs due to the nature of their work. In orthopaedic nursing, the care and management of patients involve musculoskeletal disorders, which often require physical exertion and manual handling. Objective:This study aim to identify the prevalence of WMSDs and determine the risk factors of the WMSDs among orthopaedic nurses. Methods:This study used a cross-sectional study that was carried out on 155 orthopaedic nurses in Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Convenience sampling was used to collect the data. Aself-administered question has been given to the respondent for data collection. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Question (NMQ) was used to evaluate the pain or discomfort in the body part. Results:Avery high prevalence of WMSDs in the past 12 months and during the last 7 days with 32.9% reported that the pain has prevented them from doing their normal work for the past 12 months. The most reported WMSD is 'lower back pain', followed by 'neck pain' and 'shoulder pain'. The study revealed that the risk factors "Lifting or transferring dependent patients" and the activity of "Treating a large number of patients in a single day" have the highest mean scores. Conclusion:In conclusion, the prevalence of WMSDs among orthopaedic nurses in Hospital Kuala Lumpur was high and requires a multifaceted approach involving ergonomic improvements, staff education, and organizational support. Strong management support and policy implementation are crucial for the success of these interventions.