Differences in Nurses’ Upper-Body Posture in Manual Patient Handling—A Qualitative Case Study

Gräf, Julia Katharina and Argubi-Wollesen, Andreas and Otto, Ann-Kathrin and Steinemann, Nora and Mattes, Klaus and Wollesen, Bettina (2024) Differences in Nurses’ Upper-Body Posture in Manual Patient Handling—A Qualitative Case Study. Applied Sciences, 14 (6). p. 2295. ISSN 2076-3417

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Abstract

(1) Background: In the context of nursing challenges and workforce shortages, nurses experience significant physical and psychological strain due to manual patient handling. (2) Methods: This study investigates differences in nurses’ upper body postures, patient turning acceleration, and perceived exertion during a typical repositioning process within two repositioning maneuvers. (3) Results: The results reveal variations in positioning duration, upper-body posture angles, and turning acceleration between nurses and sequences. Nurse 2 exhibits more extreme postures (e.g., lateral flexion p < 0.001) and accelerations (e.g., shoulder p < 0.001) but reports lower perceived exertion (p = 0.03). (4) Discussion: These findings emphasize the need for ergonomic adherence and targeted training to enhance patient repositioning. Comprehensive solutions are necessary for patient and nurse comfort, particularly in cases of higher patient weights. Against the background of ergonomic body posture, this study highlights the potential of innovative tools and ongoing research to alleviate physical strain and enhance patient care.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Open Research Librarians > Multidisciplinary
Depositing User: Unnamed user with email support@open.researchlibrarians.com
Date Deposited: 11 Mar 2024 07:53
Last Modified: 11 Mar 2024 07:53
URI: http://stm.e4journal.com/id/eprint/2531

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