Abstract
There is consensus that registered nurses worldwide have a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, particularly of the back. Patient handling activities such as lifting present the highest risk of injury, activities that begin in nursing school. A literature review identified 21 studies of back pain in nursing students, indicating a wide range of prevalence rates. A prospective cohort study of nursing students in a United States baccalaureate program followed 119 students who completed the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire upon beginning the 16 month upper division major and then a year later. There was no statistically significant change in low back pain prevalence over time. While nursing students have intermittent and brief exposure to patient handling activities, nursing schools must nevertheless protect them before they enter the high risk profession of nursing by teaching evidence-based safe patient handling techniques, empowering students to refuse unsafe manual lifts, and ensuring that the clinical settings with which they affiliate have adequate mechanical equipment available.
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©2016 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Professional Development Needs of Novice Nursing Clinical Teachers: A Rapid Evidence Assessment
- The Introduction of “Safety Science” into an Undergraduate Nursing Programme at a Large University in the United Kingdom
- Low Back Pain in Student Nurses: Literature Review and Prospective Cohort Study
- Making the Case for Simulation-Based Assessments to Overcome the Challenges in Evaluating Clinical Competency
- Teaching and Learning Medication Calculations: A Grounded Theory of Conceptual Understanding
- Being Dementia Smart (BDS): A Dementia Nurse Education Journey in Scotland
- Student Perceptions about the Influence of a Perioperative Nursing Elective on Career Preferences
- Learning Styles: Impact on Knowledge and Confidence in Nursing Students in Simulation and Classroom
- Nursing Students’ Perceptions of Anecdotal Notes as Formative Feedback
- Examining the Importance of Admissions Criteria in Predicting Nursing Program Success
- Health Advocacy Project: Evaluating the Benefits of Service Learning to Nursing Students and Low Income Individuals Involved in a Community-Based Mental Health Promotion Project
- Failing Clinical Practice & the Unsafe Student: A New Perspective
- Nursing Clinical Instructor Experiences of Empowerment in Rwanda: Applying Kanter’s and Spreitzer’s Theories
- Review
- An Analysis of Factors Affecting Mature Age Students’ Academic Success in Undergraduate Nursing Programs: A Critical Literature Review
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Professional Development Needs of Novice Nursing Clinical Teachers: A Rapid Evidence Assessment
- The Introduction of “Safety Science” into an Undergraduate Nursing Programme at a Large University in the United Kingdom
- Low Back Pain in Student Nurses: Literature Review and Prospective Cohort Study
- Making the Case for Simulation-Based Assessments to Overcome the Challenges in Evaluating Clinical Competency
- Teaching and Learning Medication Calculations: A Grounded Theory of Conceptual Understanding
- Being Dementia Smart (BDS): A Dementia Nurse Education Journey in Scotland
- Student Perceptions about the Influence of a Perioperative Nursing Elective on Career Preferences
- Learning Styles: Impact on Knowledge and Confidence in Nursing Students in Simulation and Classroom
- Nursing Students’ Perceptions of Anecdotal Notes as Formative Feedback
- Examining the Importance of Admissions Criteria in Predicting Nursing Program Success
- Health Advocacy Project: Evaluating the Benefits of Service Learning to Nursing Students and Low Income Individuals Involved in a Community-Based Mental Health Promotion Project
- Failing Clinical Practice & the Unsafe Student: A New Perspective
- Nursing Clinical Instructor Experiences of Empowerment in Rwanda: Applying Kanter’s and Spreitzer’s Theories
- Review
- An Analysis of Factors Affecting Mature Age Students’ Academic Success in Undergraduate Nursing Programs: A Critical Literature Review