Factors related to musculoskeletal pain of nurses in the hospital setting: cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the relationship between musculoskeletal pain and sociodemographic and labor variables of nurses in the hospital setting.

Method: Cross-sectional, descriptive research, carried out from December/2019 to March/2020, with 83 nurses from a philanthropic hospital. Sociodemographic, labor, pain-related characteristics were assessed and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: 75.9% had pain, tingling and numbness in the last year. Most affected regions: neck, upper back, and shoulders; 36% rated their pain as moderate and 14.6% severe; Nurses who work 8 hours a day, 40/44 hours a week and work at night, assessed their pain with greater intensity; there was a correlation between pain intensity and daily working hours (p = 0.046) and work shift (p = 0.029).

Conclusion: Nurses feel musculoskeletal pain in several anatomical regions and its intensity is related to the training time and acting in nursing, shift and weekly workload.