Use of patient- handling devices and coworker assistance in long-term care settings: A cross-sectional study
Background: Although many patient handling activities require use of lifting devices and assistance from coworkers to ensure safety and efficiency, integrating these practices into the workplace remains challenging. Objective: The objectives of this study were to examine the association of musculosk...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666142X2500027X |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849333781741174784 |
|---|---|
| author | Minjung Kyung Soo-Jeong Lee Laura M. Wagner OiSaeng Hong |
| author_facet | Minjung Kyung Soo-Jeong Lee Laura M. Wagner OiSaeng Hong |
| author_sort | Minjung Kyung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Although many patient handling activities require use of lifting devices and assistance from coworkers to ensure safety and efficiency, integrating these practices into the workplace remains challenging. Objective: The objectives of this study were to examine the association of musculoskeletal symptoms with the use of patient -handling devices or coworker assistance and to identify factors associated with their adoption among direct care workers in long-term care facilities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 376 direct care workers recruited from 19 long-term care facilities in South Korea. Chi-square tests and analysis of variance with Tukey post-hoc analysis were used to assess differences in musculoskeletal symptom prevalence, frequency, and severity by patient handling methods. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the use of coworker assistance or patient -handling devices and demographic, job-related, physical, and psychosocial work factors and perception of management's safety priority. Results: The majority of participants were female, married, and employed in non-permanent positions. Among the participants, 42.2% used both patient- handling devices and coworker assistance, 5.8 % used only patient- handling devices, 24.7 % used only coworker assistance, and 27.3 % used neither method. Workers who used both methods reported a significantly lower prevalence, frequency, and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms compared to those who relied on only one method or neither. Older and immigrant workers were less likely to use patient- handling devices. While workers perceiving management having a high priority for safety were more likely to use coworker assistance, immigrant, non-permanent, and overcommitted workers and those with longer years in long-term care showed lower tendencies to seek coworker assistance. Conclusion: Despite the musculoskeletal benefits of using patient- handling devices and coworker assistance, their availability and adoption remain insufficient in long-term care facilities in Korea. These findings underscore the vital role that nursing leaders may play in promoting the adoption of combined patient handling methods, particularly among vulnerable worker groups. Empowerment strategies, such as fostering a supportive work environment and addressing barriers faced by overcommitted, long-tenured, and marginalized workers, may be essential to improving the safety and well-being of both patients and staff in long-term care settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5e4ac47b5ac741deba59b4b7df91ff62 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-142X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances |
| spelling | doaj-art-5e4ac47b5ac741deba59b4b7df91ff622025-08-20T03:45:45ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Nursing Studies Advances2666-142X2025-06-01810031710.1016/j.ijnsa.2025.100317Use of patient- handling devices and coworker assistance in long-term care settings: A cross-sectional studyMinjung Kyung0Soo-Jeong Lee1Laura M. Wagner2OiSaeng Hong3College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea; School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Corresponding author at: Department of Nursing Systems, College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06591, South Korea.School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USASchool of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USASchool of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USABackground: Although many patient handling activities require use of lifting devices and assistance from coworkers to ensure safety and efficiency, integrating these practices into the workplace remains challenging. Objective: The objectives of this study were to examine the association of musculoskeletal symptoms with the use of patient -handling devices or coworker assistance and to identify factors associated with their adoption among direct care workers in long-term care facilities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 376 direct care workers recruited from 19 long-term care facilities in South Korea. Chi-square tests and analysis of variance with Tukey post-hoc analysis were used to assess differences in musculoskeletal symptom prevalence, frequency, and severity by patient handling methods. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the use of coworker assistance or patient -handling devices and demographic, job-related, physical, and psychosocial work factors and perception of management's safety priority. Results: The majority of participants were female, married, and employed in non-permanent positions. Among the participants, 42.2% used both patient- handling devices and coworker assistance, 5.8 % used only patient- handling devices, 24.7 % used only coworker assistance, and 27.3 % used neither method. Workers who used both methods reported a significantly lower prevalence, frequency, and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms compared to those who relied on only one method or neither. Older and immigrant workers were less likely to use patient- handling devices. While workers perceiving management having a high priority for safety were more likely to use coworker assistance, immigrant, non-permanent, and overcommitted workers and those with longer years in long-term care showed lower tendencies to seek coworker assistance. Conclusion: Despite the musculoskeletal benefits of using patient- handling devices and coworker assistance, their availability and adoption remain insufficient in long-term care facilities in Korea. These findings underscore the vital role that nursing leaders may play in promoting the adoption of combined patient handling methods, particularly among vulnerable worker groups. Empowerment strategies, such as fostering a supportive work environment and addressing barriers faced by overcommitted, long-tenured, and marginalized workers, may be essential to improving the safety and well-being of both patients and staff in long-term care settings.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666142X2500027XPatient-handling devicesCoworker assistanceMusculoskeletal symptomsDirect care workersLong-term care |
| spellingShingle | Minjung Kyung Soo-Jeong Lee Laura M. Wagner OiSaeng Hong Use of patient- handling devices and coworker assistance in long-term care settings: A cross-sectional study International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances Patient-handling devices Coworker assistance Musculoskeletal symptoms Direct care workers Long-term care |
| title | Use of patient- handling devices and coworker assistance in long-term care settings: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Use of patient- handling devices and coworker assistance in long-term care settings: A cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Use of patient- handling devices and coworker assistance in long-term care settings: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Use of patient- handling devices and coworker assistance in long-term care settings: A cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Use of patient- handling devices and coworker assistance in long-term care settings: A cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | use of patient handling devices and coworker assistance in long term care settings a cross sectional study |
| topic | Patient-handling devices Coworker assistance Musculoskeletal symptoms Direct care workers Long-term care |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666142X2500027X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT minjungkyung useofpatienthandlingdevicesandcoworkerassistanceinlongtermcaresettingsacrosssectionalstudy AT soojeonglee useofpatienthandlingdevicesandcoworkerassistanceinlongtermcaresettingsacrosssectionalstudy AT lauramwagner useofpatienthandlingdevicesandcoworkerassistanceinlongtermcaresettingsacrosssectionalstudy AT oisaenghong useofpatienthandlingdevicesandcoworkerassistanceinlongtermcaresettingsacrosssectionalstudy |