Overview
Keywords: Patient Handling; Nursing; Biofeedback; Simulation; Biomechanics
Timeline: 2013 - Present
Researchers: Michael Holmes (Principal Investigator, University of Ontario Institute of Technology), Samuel Howarth (Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College), Bernadette Murphy (University of Ontario Institute of Technology), Leslie Graham (Durham College)
Funder: CRE-MSD
Project type: Seed grant
Sector/Workplace type: Health care
Themes:
Theme
3
Hazard
identification
and
risk
assessment
Theme
4
Interventions
Theme
5
Implementation
Background/rationale
Biomechanical demands in nursing are well understood, yet injury rates remain high. This simulation and biofeedback approach targets nursing students to improve techniques and curriculum for safe patient handling.
Research question/objectives/methods
Research question: Can biomechanical feedback and simulation be used to enhance a student-based nursing population’s ability to learn safe patient handling techniques?
Secondary question: Can feedback and simulation result in improved postures, spine loads and movement patterns for a beginner nursing group, such that the model can be used as a surrogate for current educational practice?
20 female participants, split into Beginner and Advanced groups, will perform simulated patient handling activities while surface electromyography (EMG), optoelectronic motion capture, and force place data will be collected. Data will be input into a kinematic model which will evaluate low back loading and determine upper extremity postures for each task. These simulated tasks and individual biofeedback data will be used to educate the beginner group on ways to lower joint loading.
Key findings
In progress
Implications for the prevention of MSDs
We envision that the success of this project could set the stage for the development of a full-scale educational tool for the nursing curriculum. If the use of biofeedback and simulation proves beneficial for educating nurses on how to lower injury risk during patient handling, then this approach could be implemented in the classroom which could help student nurses perform their tasks with lower loads on their bodies.
Knowledge dissemination
In progress