Page 107 - Petelin, Ana, Nejc Šarabon, eds. 2018. Zdravje starostnikov ▪︎ Health of the Elderly. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 107
mechanical and ergonomical analysis of assisting patients starostnik – okolje | elderly – environment
in standing up
David Ravnik,1 Václav Bittner2
1 University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
2 Technical University of Liberec, Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education,
Studentská 1402/02, 461 17 Liberec 1, Czech Republic
Introduction: Nurses, nursing assistants and caregivers are professionals work-
ing also with elderly population. Elderly population needs more help because
of decreasing strength and weakness. Consequently are above mentioned pro-
fessionals at the very top of the professions with the most work-related muscu-
loskeletal disorders, commonly caused by manual handling and lifting. There is
a need to address biomechanics and body mechanics, to implement ergonom-
ic intervention, and ultimately to change policies so that they focus on minimiz-
ing manual handling and lifting, and eliminating it where possible. Consequent-
ly it is necessary to critically examine the evidence regarding intervening in the
traditional education of “proper lifting” in healthcare.
Methods: A simple biomechanical model has been developed to examine two
different approaches to a single nursing intervention—assisting from sitting to
standing—in order to determine which is the safest and more ergonomically ef-
ficient for health professions.
Results: Based on the findings, the most ergonomically efficient and safest ap-
proach is performing the task from the side of the patient, at the pre-requisite
of the patient's sufficient strength. Discussion and conclusions: We have high-
lighted two important factors preventing musculoskeletal disorders like cor-
rect learning of interventions and strengthening of the elderly population in co-
operation with physiotherapists.
Keywords: manual handling and lifting, ergonomy, biomechanics, body
mechanics, nursing
105
in standing up
David Ravnik,1 Václav Bittner2
1 University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
2 Technical University of Liberec, Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education,
Studentská 1402/02, 461 17 Liberec 1, Czech Republic
Introduction: Nurses, nursing assistants and caregivers are professionals work-
ing also with elderly population. Elderly population needs more help because
of decreasing strength and weakness. Consequently are above mentioned pro-
fessionals at the very top of the professions with the most work-related muscu-
loskeletal disorders, commonly caused by manual handling and lifting. There is
a need to address biomechanics and body mechanics, to implement ergonom-
ic intervention, and ultimately to change policies so that they focus on minimiz-
ing manual handling and lifting, and eliminating it where possible. Consequent-
ly it is necessary to critically examine the evidence regarding intervening in the
traditional education of “proper lifting” in healthcare.
Methods: A simple biomechanical model has been developed to examine two
different approaches to a single nursing intervention—assisting from sitting to
standing—in order to determine which is the safest and more ergonomically ef-
ficient for health professions.
Results: Based on the findings, the most ergonomically efficient and safest ap-
proach is performing the task from the side of the patient, at the pre-requisite
of the patient's sufficient strength. Discussion and conclusions: We have high-
lighted two important factors preventing musculoskeletal disorders like cor-
rect learning of interventions and strengthening of the elderly population in co-
operation with physiotherapists.
Keywords: manual handling and lifting, ergonomy, biomechanics, body
mechanics, nursing
105
