ABSTRACT

Karen is 40 years old and works part-time at an orthopedic clinic in an emergency hospital. She has been working as an assistant nurse for 20 years, the last three years in the same ward. In the ward, patients who have fractures and who have undergone various types of orthopaedic operations are cared for. These patients often need a great deal of assistance during transfers, as many of them have recently had operations or are elderly. Karen assists patients during transfers about 10-15 times each day. Her work otherwise consists primarily of changing dressings, taking samples, patient bed care, taking round and collecting in meal trays, moving beds with patients to and from operations, and unpacking material in the stores. Karen enjoys her work but feels that patient transfers are heavy for her back. The ward is not big enough for so many patients requiring care. The premises are cramped and access to technical aids is poor. She also feels that her knowledge of transfer technique and the use of technical aids are inadequate. She attended an introductory course in transfer techniques when she started care work, and has since gone on short half-day courses on three occasions, most recently 5 years ago. Karen has pain in her lower back from time to time, particularly when she is assisting patients during transfers, during patient care in beds and when she is moving patients’ beds. She has had short periods of absence due to illness several times a year as a result of these problems.