Back in action: Reducing risky bends to protect nursing staff

Direct care nursing staff perform a significant amount of risky bends contributing to high rates of moderate-to-severe back pain. Few practical, lasting interventions to address this issue have been reported.

To identify workflow-related sources of risky bending and implement practical interventions to reduce ergonomic hazards among direct care nursing staff.

An ergonomic motion study using the Colorado Nurses Ergonomic Study tool identified medication retrieval and bedside care activities as major sources of risky bends. Interventions included relocating high-use medications within automated dispensing cabinets to ergonomically safer locations and implementing a Raise-the-Bed Awareness Campaign promoting bed-height adjustment during patient care. Medication-use data and staff surveys were used to evaluate outcomes.

Dispensing cabinet optimization eliminated an estimated 236,000 risky bends annually across three surgical units. More than 1 year after implementation, 85% of surveyed staff reported awareness of the Raise-the-Bed Campaign, 72% reported raising beds more frequently, and 84% reported raising beds at least half the time during care activities. Combined interventions reduced an estimated 743,000 risky bends annually.

Combined structural modifications and targeted behavioral interventions can effectively reduce high-risk physical demands that contribute to back pain among direct care nursing staff. These low-cost, sustainable strategies may help improve occupational health and support workforce retention.