Low Back Pain in Operating Room Nurses and Its Associated Factors

The compatibility of exoskeletons in perioperative environments and workflows: an analysis of surgical team members' perspectives and workflow simulation

Surgical team members in perioperative environments experience high physical demands. Interventions such as exoskeletons, external wearable devices that support users, have the potential to reduce these work-related physical demands. However, barriers such as workplace environment and task compatibility may limit exoskeleton implementation. This study gathered the perspectives of 33 surgical team members: 12 surgeons, four surgical residents, seven operating room (OR) nurses, seven surgical technicians (STs), two central processing technicians (CPTs), and one infection control nurse to understand their workplace compatibility. Team members were introduced to passive exoskeletons via demonstrations, after which surgical staff (OR nurses, STs, and CPTs) were led through a simulated workflow walkthrough where they completed tasks representative of their workday. Five themes emerged from the interviews (workflow, user needs, hindrances, motivation for intervention, and acceptance) with unique subthemes for each population. Overall, exoskeletons were largely compatible with the duties and workflow of surgical team members.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Chinese Version of Occupational LowBack Pain Prevention Behaviors Questionnaire Among Clinical Nurses: A Validation Study

Objective

This study aimed to translate and validate of the Chinese version of the Occupational Low Back Pain Prevention Behaviors Questionnaire among clinical nurses.

Methods

A total of 1,186 clinical nurses were recruited from three provinces in northeast China. The reliability of the translated questionnaire was measured by internal consistency, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability. The validity of the translated questionnaire was evaluated by content validity index, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis.

Results

The Cronbach's α value of the questionnaire was 0.891, and the coefficient values for the six domains ranged between 0.804 and 0.917. The split-half reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.663 and 0.734, respectively. Furthermore, the content validity index of the questionnaire was 0.938. The 6-factor structure, supported by the eigenvalues, total variance explained, and scree plot accounted for 63.038% of the total variance. In the confirmatory factor analysis, as the results of model fitting, χ²/df = 3.753, RMSEA = 0.048, GFI = 0.929, AGFI = 0.913, TLI = 0.934, IFI = 0.943, CFI = 0.943, PGFI = 0.759, PNFI = 0.807.

Conclusion

The Chinese version of the Occupational Low Back Pain Prevention Behaviors Questionnaire had suitable reliability and validity among clinical nurses. Under the high prevalence of occupational low back pain, the questionnaire can provide a reference for developing educational intervention plans among clinical nurses.