The Problem of Back Pain Among Nurses of Neurology and Neurosurgery Wards

Introduction. In the occupational medicine back pain is treated as a paraoccupational disease, mainly related to specific professional groups. They include those employed in the sector of health care, who are at the highest risk of developing back pain, nurses in particular.
Aim. Assessment of back pain occurrence among nurses and determining the factors affecting this condition.
Material and Methods. The study group consisted of 76 nurses working in neurology and neurosurgery wards/clinics. The research methodology applied consisted of diagnostic survey method, and as the technique, a survey of our own design was used. The VAS Pain Scale was used. Statistical analysis was prepared in the program SPSS20. The statistical significance of differences was determined at a confidence level of p<0.05.
Results. 98.7% of the surveyed nurses complain about back pain. The biggest group consisted of those with very severe pain (47.4%). At the same time in 80.26% of cases the pain was located in the lumbosacral section. Multiple comparisons showed that the level of pain intensity was higher in those working on the contract than in the personnel working on the basis of a contract of employment (p=0.045). The analysis showed no statistically significant differences in the level of pain intensity between respondents in different workplaces: Chi2 (2)=3.69; p=0.158.
Conclusions. The vast majority of nurses complain about back pain, in most cases it is a very strong pain. This pain is determined by seniority, form of employment (contract) as well as by additional activities apart from of work in the ward. (JNNN 2016;5(3):84–91)