Work-related musculoskeletal risks associated with nurses and nursing assistants handling overweight and obese patients: A literature review

BACKGROUND: Nurses and nursing assistants are susceptible to work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injuries ( WMSDs) due to the increase in overweight and obese patients they are handling on a daily basis. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review work-related musculoskeletal hazards and risks associated with handling overweight and obese patients, and summarize the recommended interventions to mitigate musculoskeletal concerns among nurses and nursing assistants. METHODS: Approximately 350 publications were initially screened and 22 refereed articles were used to synthesize for this study on the bases of inclusion/exclusion relevance and strength of evidence on overweight or obese patient handling. RESULTS: Evidence suggested that the work-related musculoskeletal risks among nurses and nursing assistants included sprains/strains, low back pain, wrist, knee and shoulder injuries. The findings indicated that the WMSD risks increased when nurses and nursing assistants were manually moving or lifting patients, especially when the patients were overweight or obese. The recommended solutions included the lifting/transfer equipment and devices, ergonomic assessments and controls, no-lift polices, and training and education. CONCLUSION: To alleviate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries among nurses and nursing assistants handling overweight or obese patients, additional research and development into what safe patient handling interventions suit this growing population needs to be addressed.