The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and stress level among hospital nurses

Hospital nurses receive enormous amounts of physical and mental workload which causes them to develop workrelated musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and occupational stress. In this research, a cross-sectional study was carried out to identify the prevalence of WRMSDs, to evaluate the level of stress, and also to investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs) and stress level among one hundred and eight hospital nurses (n=108) in a government hospital. Data collection was done using three instruments, namely Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), Workplace Ergonomic Risk Assessment Tool (WERA), and Stress Overload Scale Instrument (SOS). Based on the results obtained, a majority of the nurses suffer lower back pain whereas in terms of stress level, the nurses face relatively high stress level from their work. The relationship between MSCs and stress level was found to be absent. WRMSDs and stress are both multifactorial thus making it hard to conclude that the WRMSDs experienced by the nurses are caused by stress. Because of that, further study in relation to WRMSDs and stress is required to explore this issue