Better Ergonomics for Nursing Computer Workstations

With the increasing level of technological achievement, the nursing-patient interface is constantly changing. Over the past two decades, that interface has become more focused on computer-based therapies. Nursing work has also become increasingly focused on sedentary workstations in which, in many cases, much of a nursing shift may be centered on computer-based work within a small workstation. In order to increase the retention of nursing staff and the efficiency and long-term health of these nursing staff, the ergonomics of computer workstations should be a focus of workplace development. In his systematic review of workplace ergonomics, Martin Anderson (2011) concluded that the domain of workplace psychology needs to cover a larger breadth of ergonomic-based workstations and that such achievements in the understanding of the ergonomics of work environments need to have a much more interdisciplinary focus.

The ergonomics of workstations is especially important for most nursing staff who spend their shifts in a constant balance between computer-based work, e-monitoring and patient care. In their randomized, controlled trial study of forearm support in a United Kingdom call center, Cook and Burgess-Limerick (2004) found that forearm support is a necessary precursor to the long-term health of employees involved in sedentary workstation-oriented jobs. The interventions they implemented included forearm support to workstations, keyboard, and desk height recordings, the monitoring of posture including no trunk flexion, weekly training reminders to maintain proper forearm position, and weekly compliance visits. They concluded that “the study confirms that use of forearm support has a number of advantages over a traditional floating posture and should be considered as an alternate posture for keyboard users” (Cook et al., 2004, p.341). These findings can be applied to nursing workstations. Hospital administrators should implement such findings during the planning stages of hospital ward development and the furnishing of new hospitals. In doing so, they will certainly sustain the health and efficiency of nursing staff for a longer period.

References

Anderson, M. (2011). Contemporary ergonomics and human factors 2011. Boca Raton: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis.

Cook, C., & Burgess-Limerick, R. (2004). The effect of forearm support on musculoskeletal discomfort during call center work. Applied Ergonomics, 35(4), 337-342.