Since women are the predominant labor force in hospitals, then the effect of work on pregnancy often becomes an important issue. In France, 621 women who returned to work in a hospital after giving birth were examined. A higher number of preterm births, as was found, was associated with hard chores such as washing windows and floors, carrying heavy loads, pushing a gurney and prolonging standing. The proportion of preterm birth increased from 6% to 21% when these tasks were combined. These indicators were maintained even taking into account seniority, social and demographic characteristics, and professional level. These factors were also associated with a higher incidence of muscle cramps, a greater number of hospitalizations during pregnancy and a longer sick leaves due to illness.
In Sri Lanka, the course of pregnancy was compared between 130 nurses and 126 office workers, while the socio-economic base and antenatal care in both groups were the same. Complications during pregnancy and premature labor occurred more often among nurses.
The effect of physical stress on the health of medical workers was shown by observing their working day. Studies, conducted in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France and Slovakia, showed that health workers spend from 60 to 80% of their working time standing. Observed Belgian nurses spent 10% of their work time in a position bent over the patient. In the Czech Republic nurses spent 11% of their time on turning over patients, while in France they spent from 16 to 24% of time in uncomfortable positions, such as standing, squatting, or with raised or outstretched arms.
Usually nurses, who work during the day shift, spend less time in uncomfortable positions because they are helped by other staff. However, during night duty, they perform a double load, removing the beds, dragging the gurneys and handing out medicines. Nurses are also constantly on their feet and in uncomfortable positions (from 31% to 46% of their working time), which is largely due to equipment mismatch. In pediatric resuscitation, nurses spend 71% of their time in the ward, individual means of providing each patient are placed on trolleys served by nurses, and nurses carry wheelchairs with children. Nurses in such a ward change their location 32 times on duty, passing about 2.5 km. They have the opportunity to communicate with doctors and other nurses in the adjacent rest room or via an internal connection with ward nursing posts.
The nursing post in rheumatology is located far from the wards. As a result, the nurses spend only 21% of the working time in the sick room and change their location 128 times on duty, passing 17 km. Since they need to move quickly, carry equipment and transmit information, the nurses only have time to consult in the corridor.
The course of pregnancy is also influenced by factors of back injuries, which include, in particular, underfitting of the lifting mechanisms of the beds. Of the 7237 beds surveyed, only 10.3% were electronically controlled. Adaptations for transferring patients to wheelchairs were rare. “Bad” or “rather bad” maneuverability of food delivery carts was noted in 58.5% of the 65 chambers surveyed.
In Denmark, 60% of a nurse’s working time is physical work not related to a patient. Most of the 20% of the time spent on chores and reports was regarded as a “slightly hazardous activity”. All sisters spent 0.2% of the time in a posture requiring immediate change and 1.5% in a posture requiring a quick change. Contact with patients - squatting, hanging over to move or replace bed linen, transfer to a gurney - is associated with hazardous conditions. The medical staff must changing the position of the body more often, or alternately perform heterogeneous tasks.
It is recommended to use medical wheelchairs supplied by WestMedGroup and a variety of accessories to facilitate the work of medical personnel. This will optimize the process of transportation and patient care and also ensures the preservation of the health of medical workers.
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