Understanding Work-related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Rehabilitation from a Nursing Perspective
1Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, Department of Nursing, St. Catherine University, Saint Paul, MN, USA.
Purpose:
The incidence and prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal nursing injuries is a top concern for nurses. These injuries are thought to be a dynamic interplay of multiple factors. A literature review reveals a knowledge gap in understanding context-specific patterns of nursing injuries.
Design:
Using a cross-sectional descriptive research design, 58 rehabilitation nurses participated in this study.
Methods:
Anonymous paper surveys were sent to all rehabilitation nursing personnel on the unit.
Findings:
Six themes emerged: lack of time and help, patient acuity, ergonomics, body movement issues, knowledge deficit, and communication.
Conclusions:
Nursing input is critical in understanding and reducing context-specific work-related musculoskeletal injuries. Further research that includes nursing voices is advocated.
Clinical Relevance:
Rehabilitation nursing injuries appear to be a complex interaction of multiple determinants; therefore, multifaceted solutions using a quality improvement lens are recommended to improve the working conditions on the units.
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