Nurses' viewpoint of sustaining work despite musculoskeletal pain: A qualitative study

The nursing profession consistently has the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among occupations due to physical and psychological pressures, leading to an increased number of sickness absences, early retirement, staff shortage, poor health conditions, and need for medical care. Absence among healthcare workers puts the quality of patient care at risk, and increase colleagues' workload and employer staffing expenses. This study aimed to investigate the viewpoints of Iranian nurses about sustaining work despite musculoskeletal pain.

This study was performed as qualitative research. Data were gathered using purposive sampling through in-depth one-to-one interviews with 21 nurses. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and imported into the computer software MAXQDA 2020. Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis was performed to analyze the data, and Lincoln and Guba's recommendations were used to control the trustworthiness of the data.

A total of 4 main categories and 15 subcategories emerged after several rounds of analyzing and summarizing the data and considering the similarities and differences. These main categories included education, workplace adjustments, supportive culture, and regulations and legislations.

Considering the attitudes of nurses with MSDs on continuing work is important for developing and implementing interventions to facilitate the work for this vulnerable working profession and to promote compliance with these measures. Quantitative studies on the effectiveness of the proposed strategies are required for more scientific evidence.