A Study to Determine the Effectiveness of Ergonomic Training on Body Posture and Musculoskeletal Disorder in Hospital Nurses

The study aims in determining the effectiveness of ergonomic training on workrelated musculoskeletal disorders and body posture among hospital nurses. Thirty hospital nurses were selected based on the selection criteria. Pre-test assessments were obtained using Cornell musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire, Visual analogue scale and Rapid upper limb assessment. The nurses were further split into experimental and control group with fifteen each. A comprehensive 8 week ergonomic training program was aided to the experimental group. Wilcoxon signed rank test was applied to determine the significance between the pre-test and the post-test values. P= 0.0001 (P <0.05 is considered significant). The frequency of the musculoskeletal pain has decreased with improved body posture. The study reveals the evidence for a need of a multicentre approach towards the treatment of work related musculoskeletal disorders. Study also illuminates the dynamic role of an occupational therapist in the field of ergonomics and intervening musculoskeletal disorders.