Effects of a PRECEDE-PROCEED model based ergonomic risk management programme to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms of ICU nurses

Objectives: To evaluate effects of a PRECEDE-PROCEED Model based, nurse-delivered Ergonomic Risk Management Program (ERMP) in the aim of reducing musculoskeletal symptoms of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Methods: This pre-test post-test design for non-equivalent control groups study comprised 72 ICU nurses from two hospitals. A randomised sampling was done through the study population. The ERMP was delivered as an intervention including 26 weeks of follow-up. Data was collected by “Descriptives of Nurses and Ergonomic Risk Reporting Form”, “Rapid Upper Risk Assessment Form (RULA)”, “ICU Environment Assessment Form” and “Personal interviews form”. Results: There was no difference between sociodemographic characteristics, work and general health conditions within intervention and control group. One month after the intervention, nurses had significant decrease in their total RULA scores during bending down and patient repositioning movements as 1.40 and 0.82, respectively. Six months after the ERMP, the mean total RULA scores of nurses during the patient repositioning was 4.39 ± 1.49 which meant “immediate further analyses and modifications recommended”. After all, pain intensity scores, medication use due to pain, and RULA ergonomic risk scores were significantly decreased, while exercise frequency was increased. Conclusions: The ERMP was effective to increase exercise frequency and to decrease musculoskeletal pain and ergonomic risk levels of ICU nurses.