Ergonomics: an important factor in the operating room

Virtual Reality Simulator Enhances Ergonomics Skills for Neurosurgeons:

This paper aims to assess the needs of neurosurgical training in order to strategize the future plans for simulation and rehearsal. The project main objective is to investigate the ability virtual reality to enhance the training.An online questionnaire has been conducted among surgeons practicing in different countries across the globe. The study shows significant differences in rehearsal methods and surgical teaching methods practiced by the respondents. Among respondents, 90% did believe that virtual reality technology can serve surgical training, and almost all respondents agreed that there is a gap in the existing neurosurgical training in terms of operating room ergonomics. Adequate education on surgical ergonomics might lead to an improvement in the outcomes for both surgeon and patient. The contribution of the paper is two fold. From one side investigates the new requirements for the enhancement of Neurosurgenos’ training and adoption on Virtual Reality Simulator. From the other side contributes to the body of knowledge related to the required Ergonomics skills.

Ergonomic Challenges in the Perioperative Setting

Working in health care can be physically stressful. The perioperative setting, which is largely concealed from other health care workers and the general public, places unique physical demands on its workers. Perioperative personnel are responsible for a variety of physical tasks, including moving and positioning patients, holding extremities, and moving equipment and supplies. As the nursing workforce ages, the physical demands of the perioperative environment may affect the development of musculoskeletal disorders in older nurses. The purpose of this article is to review published research and describe the ergonomic challenges of working in the OR. There currently is a paucity of literature on the effects of ergonomic risk factors on perioperative nurses in the United States. This article also provides some recommendations for perioperative staff members and leaders that may assist them with creating and maintaining a healthy and safe work environment.

Effect of an Ergonomics Educational Program on Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nursing Staff Working in the Operating Room: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Nursing staff working in the operating room are exposed to risk factors that can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and work-related disabilities. The use of ergonomics principles can help with the prevention of MSDs. This study aimed to examine the effect of an ergonomics educational program on MSDs among nursing staff working in the operating room. Methods: In this pragmatic parallel group quasi-randomized controlled clinical trial, 74 nursing staff working in the operating rooms of two teaching hospitals participated. The hospitals were randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control group and all nursing staff working in the operating room of each hospital were invited to take part in this research. They were initially assessed for the prevalence and risk of MSDs by using the Nordic questionnaire and the rapid entire body assessment (REBA) checklist. The intervention group received the ergonomics educational program and were assessed in two-week intervals over a period of three months. At the end of the study, the risk and prevalence of MSDs were compared between the intervention and control groups. Results: Statistically significant differences were reported between the groups in terms of the prevalence and risk of MSDs. The overall risk of MSDs decreased in the intervention group after the educational program (p = 0.03). The reduction in the prevalence of MSDs in the different parts of the body in the intervention group was as follows: ankle (p = 0.005), hand/wrist (p = 0.041), low back (p = 0.000), the neck (p = 0.003), hip (p = 0.001) and shoulder (p = 0.043). Conclusion: The education of nursing staff about ergonomics can influence the prevalence and risk of MSDs. Therefore, it should be incorporated into the degree education and on-the-job training initiatives for nurses working in the operating theatre in order to reduce workplace injuries and associated absences, and increase the quality of care delivered by them. This clinical trial has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT2015081823677N1.