A comparative study of back pain, task-load and presenteeism in nursing homes

Area of Science:

• Healthcare interventions
• Occupational health
• Nursing practice

Background:

• Nursing care workers experience high rates of back pain and task load.
• Presenteeism, or working while unwell, impacts productivity and care quality.
• Patient mobility tools offer a potential solution to mitigate these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of patient mobility tools on nursing care workers' back pain.
• To assess the effect of these tools on task load and presenteeism.
• To determine the influence on perceived productivity and overall patient care quality.

Main Methods:

• A cluster-randomized, single-blind, controlled pretest-posttest design was employed.
• The study involved 80 nursing care workers across two facilities, divided into an intervention group (using mobility tools) and a control group.
• Data on back pain, task load, and productivity were collected before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in back pain were observed in the intervention group (F=14.06, p<0.001).
• Task load also significantly decreased (F=5.91, p=0.004).
• Perceived productivity showed a significant increase (F=41.17, p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Patient mobility tools effectively reduce back pain and workload for nursing staff.
• The use of these tools enhances perceived productivity and patient care quality.
• Adopting mobility tools can improve staff retention and ensure sustainable, high-quality care delivery.