Riesgos ostemusculoesqueléticos a los que se expone el personal de enfermería en el manejo de pacientes críticos

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the ergonomic musculoskeletal risks to which nursing personnel are exposed in the management of critical patients. During 2020 and early 2021, critical care units increased their activities as a result of the escalation in the spread of COVID-19. This meant a stronger workload and intensity on the nursing staff, responsible, among their tasks, for the manual handling of patients in activities such as bathing, aspiration of endotracheal secretions, administration of medication, changes of position, among others. Materials and methods: The application of a quantitative, descriptive and correlational study was considered, through surveys applied to 20 nurses from the Hospital of Specialties of the Armed Forces. Data were collected using the Kuorinka Nordic Questionnaire and a questionnaire with items on physical effort during the management of critical patients.Results: A 100% prevalence of pain in the last year and last 7 days was found in the neck, shoulder, spine, and wrists, and 40 to 50% in the elbows / forearms. The strongest complaints are found in the neck and shoulders with an intensity of 4 and 5 on a 5-point scale. Conclusion: the nursing staff is at a high level of ergonomic risk, which has increased as a result of the work overload due to the pandemic. Future studies are recommended to identify key aspects to intervene to improve working conditions and management of critical patients.