Deriving Insights From an Occupational Incident Reporting System to Enhance Understanding of Musculoskeletal...

To describe nurse, midwife and injury characteristics of musculoskeletal incident workplace compensation claims (WorkSafe) in Victoria, Australia; to determine the ratio between lost work for musculoskeletal compensation claimants, compared to hours worked by the Victorian nursing and midwifery workforce; to modify a risk-identification framework for workplace incidents involving staff-assisted patient movement reported in the Victorian Health Incident Management System (VHIMS), specific to incidents that occur during staff-assisted patient movement, and apply the coding framework to VHIMS incidents to report the risk factors associated with these incidents.

Observational data collected prospectively between July 2017 and December 2021 via WorkSafe, and via VHIMS from two Victorian health services, were extracted. A 7-item risk-identification coding framework was modified over three iterations and tested to describe VHIMS workplace incidents that occurred during staff-assisted patient movement and resulted in staff musculoskeletal incidents, or a patient fall.

Of 1936 Victorian nursing workforce compensation scheme claims audited (mean claimant age 43 years (SD 13), 90% female and 4% midwives), the mean incapacity was 152 days (SD 199), resulting in 5700 h of lost work, at a cost of $AUD14,325,109, per year. For every 206 h worked by this workforce, there was 1 h lost due to a musculoskeletal incident compensation claim. Of the 748 health service VHIMS staff incidents, most involved the trunk (60%), and risk factors included patient participation or behaviour (72%) and load (65%). Of the 1935 health service VHIMS patient falls, most occurred during transfers (39%) or walking (30%), and risk factors included patient participation or behaviour (94%) and load (55%).

Nursing and midwife musculoskeletal incidents carry significant individual and workforce costs. Risk factors were identified with the modified risk-identification framework, which could be used to support clinical teams in developing data-driven solutions to prevent staff incidents and patient falls.

Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) extension for cross-sectional studies.

No Patient or Public Contribution.

As this study used an observational design, trial registration was not required.