Relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and work performance of nursing staff: A comparison of hospital nursing departments

This study aimed to explore the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and the work performance of nursing staff. This cross-sectional study used the Checklist for Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), and the Work Ability Index to survey the prevalence of MSDs, as well as to determine the impact of MSDs on 117 nursing staff working in an emergency department, an intensive care unit, and general wards. The findings indicate that the nursing staff were exposed to a workplace environment with a high risk of MSDs. Nursing staff in the emergency department were at a particularly high risk of MSDs in their upper and lower limbs, while those working in the intensive care unit had a particularly high risk of injuries caused by manual material handling. Analyzing the relationship between MSD risk factors and NMQ scores showed a 6 times, 3.25 times, and 2.28 times increase in MSD conditions with a high workload compared to a low workload in the hand and wrist, the lower back or waist, and the knee, respectively. Medium and high workloads were found to increase the risk of MSD, which in turn affected the work ability of the nurses.