Musculoskeletal Disorders and Caring Behaviors among Nursing Staff in Greek Hospitals: a Prospective Multicenter Study.

Care delivery from nursing staff to patients in hospital environment may involve the exertion of considerable muscular force and, as a result, there is a consequent risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the relationship between reported MSDs and perceived caring behaviors among nursing staff. A total of 250 questionnaires were completed in three Greek hospitals during February and March 2019. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire for the evaluation of MSDs and the Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 (CBI-24) for the assessment of caring behaviors were used. A total of 185 participants (74%) were found to have at least one MSD. Back (64.3%), neck (63.2%) and shoulder (58.4%) pain were the most commonly reported MSDs. The mean score on the CBI-24 scale was 5.06 (SD=0.51) and the mean "Connectedness" dimension was 4.59 (SD=0.74). Elbow MSDs were significantly associated with the lowest score in the "Knowledge and skills" dimension (p=0.024) and the lowest overall nursing score (p=0.048). Linear regression analysis showed that the lowest nursing care score was associated with left-handed nurses (p=0.008) of low hierarchical position (p=0.013), suffering from elbow MSDs (p=0.002), for which they did not seek treatment (p=0.023). Participants who continued to work on a regular basis despite MSDs showed a lower score on the dimensions of "Respectful" (p=0.05) and "Connectedness" (p=0.01). The nursing staff showed high percentage of MSDs that negatively affected their perceived dimensions of caring behaviors. These findings could be used to prevent and deal with work-related MSDs, reduce occupational hazards and improve hospital patient care.