Research Institute of Nursing Science, College of Nursing, Jeonbuk National University, #712, 567 Baekje-Daero, Deokjin-Gu, Jeonju-Si, Jeollabuk-Do, 54896, Republic of Korea.
Research Institute of Nursing Science, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Hum Resour Health. 2022 Oct 8;20(1):72. doi: 10.1186/s12960-022-00768-3.
The physical job demands of hospital nurses are known to be very high. Although many studies have measured the physical activities of nurses subjectively using questionnaires, it remains necessary to quantify and measure nurses' physical activity at work using objective indicators. This study was conducted to address this gap in the literature by analyzing nurses' physical activity using both objective measurements and subjective perceptions. The number of steps, distance traveled, and actual work hours were measured during work, and the influence of related factors was analyzed.
Using a cross-sectional design, survey and activity tracking data were collected from nurses who worked in three shifts in two tertiary hospitals located in the capital region of South Korea. The participants comprised 117 nurses working in four different units (medical ward, surgical ward, intensive care unit, emergency room), and data from 351 shifts were used in the final analysis. Between-group differences in the main variables were analyzed using the t-test, the Mann-Whitney test, analysis of variance, or the Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriate. The relationships were examined through multiple linear regression analysis.
The average number of steps and distance traveled were greatest for nurses working in the emergency room, followed by the intensive care unit, surgical ward, and medical ward (in descending order). Younger nurses and those with shorter unit experience tended to have the greatest number of steps and distance traveled.
Using activity trackers, this study derived physical activity measures such as number of steps and distance traveled, enabling an objective examination of physical activity during shifts. Nurses' level of physical activity differed depending on the type of nursing unit, nurses' age, and unit experience. These results suggest the need for support programs that are specific to the job demands of specific nursing units.
医院护士的体力工作要求众所周知非常高。尽管许多研究已经使用问卷主观地测量了护士的体力活动，但仍需要使用客观指标来量化和测量护士在工作中的体力活动。本研究旨在通过同时使用客观测量和主观感知来分析护士的体力活动，从而填补文献中的这一空白。在工作期间测量了步数、行进距离和实际工作时间，并分析了相关因素的影响。
本研究采用横断面设计，从位于韩国首都地区的两家三级医院的三个班次的护士中收集了调查和活动跟踪数据。参与者包括在四个不同单位（内科病房、外科病房、重症监护室、急诊室）工作的 117 名护士，最终分析了 351 个班次的数据。使用 t 检验、Mann-Whitney 检验、方差分析或 Kruskal-Wallis 检验分析主要变量之间的组间差异，具体取决于情况。通过多元线性回归分析检查了关系。
在急诊室工作的护士的平均步数和行进距离最大，其次是重症监护室、外科病房和内科病房（依次递减）。年轻的护士和在单位工作经验较短的护士往往走的步数和行进距离最大。
本研究使用活动追踪器得出了步数和行进距离等体力活动测量值，从而能够客观地检查轮班期间的体力活动。护士的体力活动水平因护理单元类型、护士年龄和单位工作经验而异。这些结果表明，需要针对特定护理单元的工作要求制定支持计划。
