Biomaterial Database

A study of nurses' attitudes towards mechanical aids. 1996

J Moody, and T McGuire, and M Hanson, and F Tigar

Publication of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations (HSE 1992) focused attention on the use of mechanical aids for the purposes of moving and handling. However, nurses' reluctance to use this equipment has been widely documented. The reasons for this are complex and the aim of this study was to examine in depth the effectiveness and acceptability of mechanical aids to nurses and clients. This article reports on the part of the study which surveyed nurses' attitudes towards this equipment. The data were obtained by means of a semi-structured interview schedule. One hundred and eighty five nurses from a selection of specialties were interviewed. Common problems identified by the researchers were lack of proper training in mechanical aid use, mechanical aids and slings being unavailable or inaccessible, arbitrary use of mechanical aids and spatial constraints to mechanical aid use. Recommendations are made which aim to address the issues raised. Phases II and III of the study will appear in the next two issues.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009740	Nursing Staff	Personnel who provide nursing service to patients in an organized facility, institution, or agency.	Nursing Staffs,Staff, Nursing,Staffs, Nursing
D009784	Occupational Diseases	Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment.	Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001291	Attitude of Health Personnel	Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc.	Staff Attitude,Attitude, Staff,Attitudes, Staff,Health Personnel Attitude,Health Personnel Attitudes,Staff Attitudes
D001416	Back Pain	Acute or chronic pain located in the posterior regions of the THORAX; LUMBOSACRAL REGION; or the adjacent regions.	Backache,Back Ache,Back Pain with Radiation,Back Pain without Radiation,Vertebrogenic Pain Syndrome,Ache, Back,Aches, Back,Back Aches,Back Pains,Backaches,Pain Syndrome, Vertebrogenic,Pain Syndromes, Vertebrogenic,Pain, Back,Pains, Back,Syndrome, Vertebrogenic Pain,Syndromes, Vertebrogenic Pain,Vertebrogenic Pain Syndromes
D017770	Lifting	Moving or bringing something from a lower level to a higher one. The concept encompasses biomechanic stresses resulting from work done in transferring objects from one plane to another as well as the effects of varying techniques of patient handling and transfer.	Carrying