Reducing Physical Workload Among Assistant Nurses Through Ergonomic Work Technique Training With or Without Biofeedback

Summary

Assistant nurses often develop work-related pain in the back, neck and shoulders because their work involves frequent patient handling and movement. Training in safe patient handling may help reduce pain and injury risk, and biofeedback may further support better work techniques during everyday care work.

This study will test whether workplace-based training in patient handling can reduce musculoskeletal problems among assistant nurses. It will also examine whether adding six weeks of self-managed biofeedback-supported work technique training gives extra benefits compared with patient handling training alone. The study will include 60 assistant nurses with musculoskeletal symptoms, who will be randomly assigned to one of the two training groups. Data will be collected through interviews, physical assessments, questionnaires at baseline, six weeks and six months, and weekly SMS monitoring. Interviews with assistant nurses and managers will also explore how the intervention works in practice, how safe patient handling can be promoted, and what organisational factors support safer working methods.

Conditions

• Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

Interventions

OTHER

Group A. Patient handling and movement training

Both groups: Participants in Groups A and B will receive individualised ergonomic advice tailored to their work situation and needs. During the first weeks, they will complete a digital educational programme delivered through the county council of Östergötland's educational platform and receive a five-step checklist for safe patient handling and movement (PHM), based on Safe Patient Handling - A Research-Based Guide for an Improved Work Environment. The programme includes theoretical and practical PHM training, with emphasis on risk assessment, safe patient transfers and other physically demanding work tasks. Practical instruction will also be provided in the participants' own workplaces.

OTHER

Group B: Patient handling and movement training plus biofeedback

Biofeedback-supported work technique training (Group B): Participants in Group B will additionally receive six weeks of self-administered work technique training supported by biofeedback (Wergonic AB, Tullinge, Sweden). Wearable inertial measurement unit sensors attached to the trunk and upper arm will monitor working postures during routine care work, particularly movements involving the back and neck/shoulder region (34, 35) (Figure 2). When unfavourable postures are detected, the system provides gentle vibrotactile feedback, which increases with less favourable postures and stops when a more ergonomic posture is adopted. After instruction, participants will use the system independently during normal work to practise less physically demanding work techniques. They will complete at least ten sessions of a minimum of 20 minutes over six weeks, with the option to train more frequently or for longer periods.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Region Östergötland

  collaborator OTHER

• Department of Health, Medicin and Caring Science, Linköping University

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Region Jönköping County

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• AFA försäkring

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Linkoeping University

  lead OTHER_GOV

Principal Investigators

• Anneli Peolsson, Prof., PhD · 1. Dep. of Health Medicine and Caring Sciences, Physiotherapy, Linköping University, Linköping, and 2. Clinical Occupational and Environmental Medicine Centre, Dep. of Health Medicine and Caring Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Linköping Univiversity, Sweden

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2027-01-18

Primary Completion

2028-12-31

Completion

2028-12-31