Work-related musculoskeletal complaints among haemodialysis nurses: An exploratory study of the work situation from an ergonomic perspective.
Eva Westergren, Magnus Lindberg
PMID 35634816WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses identified eight tasks straining their hands and backs, including flushing accesses up to 15 times and moving heavy machines.
They reported pain in specific fingers depending on the dialysis machine design. This is an observation of hazards, not proof that changing tasks reduces pain.
Key findings
01Eight work tasks were identified as increasing the risk of musculoskeletal complaints, such as flushing accesses and compressing cannulation sites.
02The specific location of hand pain varied depending on the design of the dialysis machine used.
03Nurses reported strain in their shoulders and neck from raising their arms to enter passwords on high-mounted touch screens.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study was exploratory and qualitative, so it identifies perceived risks rather than proving a causal link to injury. The sample was small (19 nurses) and self-selected, limiting generalisability. The observer was a nurse but had no prior experience in haemodialysis settings, which the authors argue reduced bias but may have affected interpretation of specific workflows. Only a subset of daily tasks was analysed, focusing on those with potential ergonomic hazards.
Declared interests
The study was funded by AFA Insurance and the University of Gävle. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that changing the dialysis machine or flushing technique will reduce nurse pain. This study reports nurses' perceptions of hazardous tasks and does not test any interventions.