Interventions to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare staff in nursing homes; An integrative literature review

Background: : The incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been consistently high in nursing sectors and are a significant cost to the health service due to absenteeism. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are more common among healthcare workers in nursing homes due to the high dependency needs of older persons which often include need for help with self care and mobility. Therefore, staff are exposed to potential injury associated with moving and handling patients. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders significantly impact on the quality of life of affected individuals, can cause economic hardship and affect service provision. Aim: : To identify, review, and discuss interventions that may be effective in reducing the prevalence and consequences of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in nursing homes. Design: : An integrative literature review. Method: : A systematic search of Embase, Science direct, Web of science and EBSCO Host was conducted and an ancestry search of the references of the reviewed articles were also reviewed. Peer reviewed primary research published between 2000 and 2020 were selected. The quality of these studies was appraised with Crowe Quality Appraisal Tool and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The components of the interventions were categorised using Burnard (2011) framework for content analysis.