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EPIDEMIOLOGICAL
SURVEY AMONG PERSONNEL AT SOUTHPORT AND ORMSKIRK HOSPITALS
NHS TRUST
- Download
Questionnaire
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Warning
- We are governed by strict Ethical
Committee rules. Please only return the completed
questionnaire to us if you were given a copy of the
questionnaire previously and you have misplaced the
original questionnaire. If you were not given a
questionnaire previously, you can still download the
questionnaire but please don't send it to us as it would
make our research invalid. Since the questionnaire is
anonymous there is no mechanism by which we can determine
whether the completed questionnaire is from one of the
original recipientsor not.
Investigators
- Ms Beverley Webster,
Physiotherapist,
- Dr. Syed Badshah
- Mr. George Ampat Consultant
Orthopaedic Surgeon
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Introduction
- The incidence and prevalence of
back pain are significantly higher in nurses in
comparison to the general population (National Back Pain
Association, 1997 - Ref
1). This has lead to the
belief that back pain and back injury is an occupational
hazard of nursing work (RCN, 1979 - Ref
2). Survey by Seccombe et.
al. in1992 (Ref
3) provides an important
baseline. Among 4000 qualified nursing staff, one in four
reported absence with a work-sustained back injury and
one in three of these nurses indicated that they were
currently suffering from back injury. Costs to the
national purse are also significantly higher. This
includes the cost of lost working days, costs involved in
replacing back-injured nurses and paying personal
injuries claims. These costs are major sources of NHS
expenditure (Owen, 1998 Ref-4).
Legislation 1992 Manual Handling Operations Regulations,
HSE, 1992 - Ref
5) has been introduced to
address the factors associated with back pain and injury
in nurses. However, research has shown that, despite
this, improvements in patient handling techniques have
been limited (Green, 1996 Ref-6).
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Our study aims to
determine the following
- The point, annual and lifetime
prevalence of spinal pain (neck, mid back and low back)
among nursing and members of allied professions at
Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals NHS Trust
- The annual incidence of spinal
pain among nursing and allied professions.
- The assessment of disability due
to spinal pain using the following
instruments
- Oswestry Low back Disability
Index
- Million and Jayson Low Back
Disability score
- Vernon and Mior Neck Disability
index
- The general assessment of health
by the SF-12.
- Perceived adequacy of levels of
staffing.
- Perceived adequacy of availability
of lifting equipment.
- Perceived levels of training
received and practiced with regards to manual handling
and lifting.
- The following perceived social
attitudes at work
- Nursing involves hard physical
labour
- I have to do more for the
patient than ask the patient to do by himself /
herself
- I should get on with work
rather than ask for help with manual
handling
- Manual handling aides are a
waste of precious nursing time.
- Back pain is an inherent part
of nursing career
- I do not complain if I have
back pain.
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Materials and
Methods
- Nursing and allied professional
personnel working in the following areas would be
targeted and categorized.
- 2 Acute Medical wards
- 1 Ward caring for the
elderly
- 2 Acute surgical wards
- 2 Acute orthopaedic
wards
- Day Care Unit
personnel
- Theatre personnel
- Outpatient personnel
- Participation in the survey would
be entirely voluntary.
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References
- National Back
Pain Association (1997) The Guide to the Manual Handling
of Patients. 4th edn, National Back Pain Association,
Teddington, UK.
- RCN (1979)
Avoiding Low Back Injury Amongst Nurses. RCN, London.
- Seccombe I. &
Ball J. (1992) Back injured nurses: a profile. Discussion
paper for the RCN. Institute of Manpower Studies, London.
- Owen A. (1998)
Implementing a safer patient handling policy.
Professional Nurse, 13(10), 681-684.
- HSE (1992) Manual
Handling: Manual Handling Operations, Regulations,
Guidance on Regulations. Health & Safety Executive,
London.
- Green C. (1996) A
study of moving and handling practices in two medical
wards. British Journal of Nursing 5(5), 303-311.
If you have any queries on the content
of this web site please do not hesitate to contact us on the
address given below.
- Contact
details
- Mr. George Ampat FRCS
(Tr & Orth)
- Consultant Orthopaedic
Surgeon, Southport District General Hospital, Town Lane,
Southport, PR8 6PN, UK. Tel 01704704192
- Capio Renacres Hospital,
Renacres Lane, Halsall, Nr. Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 8SE
Tel +44 (0) 1704 841133 Fax +44 (0) 1704842030
Secretary's Email:
secretary@ampat.co.uk
or Telephone 07511665155
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