Proper Body Mechanics Play Vital Role in Nursing

• Nurses must understand the importance of proper body mechanics to prevent injury in the workplace. 
• Proper body mechanics can vary from one patient to another based on the patient’s individual needs. 
• Guidelines must be utilized while administering patient care and carrying out nursing responsibilities. 

Nurses need to understand and follow proper body mechanics – the position of the body when moving – to reduce pain and back injury in the workplace or during daily activities. Correct body positioning and posture can reduce muscle fatigue and strain when nurses sit at computer workstations.

Proper body mechanics in nursing is essential to reduce the risk of injury to staff and patients. If a nurse does not use the correct lifting techniques when transferring an elderly patient to a chair, it puts the patient at risk for a fall and the nurse at risk of injury. Following simple body mechanic guidelines when walking, sitting, lifting, standing, and positioning patients helps protect the nursing staff’s and patients’ overall health.  

Importance of Body Mechanics

Following proper body mechanics is important for healthcare workers, such as nurses, because of the frequent need to move and lift patients. When nurses transfer patients to the commode or chair, they risk back or neck injury if proper body mechanics are not followed. If nursing staff sit for long hours at a desk, appropriate techniques for sitting and posture must be followed to reduce shoulder, neck, and back strain. When spending multiple hours standing during the day, understanding the proper stance and the need for stretching can reduce fatigue and muscle aches.  

Proper Body Mechanics as a Nurse

Proper body mechanics as a nurse depend on the patient’s needs. The first thing a nurse should do when assessing a patient is determine their level of activity and need for assistance. If the patient is non-weight-bearing and unable to ambulate, they will require more effort when transferring to a chair or moving to a commode. Understanding a patient’s needs in advance will reduce the risk of injury.  

On a typical day, nurses may perform repeated lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, and flexing of the arms and legs. When a patient assessment reveals the need for extensive help, the nurse might use assistive devices to reduce the risk of injury. Such devices include:  

• Gait belt: a flexible strap wrapped around the patient to assist with lifting when they cannot support their body weight.  
• Transfer board: also called a slider board, is a slick board that makes the transfer of a patient from bed to bed easier with less back pulling required. 
• Mechanical lift: entirely dependent patients might require a device to electronically lift them from their bed to transfer them to a chair or shower.  

Guidelines and Proper Body Mechanics

Posture: Proper posture is at the root of all body movement. Maintaining a neutral spine position keeps the body balanced and reduces muscle fatigue. Proper spine alignment should produce a straight line drawn from the ears to the shoulders to the hips. This posture should be maintained while sitting and standing throughout the day.  

Standing: Specific techniques can reduce the risk of back pain and fatigue when standing for long periods. Tips to minimize strain include establishing a wide, stable stance on a firm surface, maintaining good posture, and leaning on a solid surface to lessen muscle fatigue. Taking breaks to stretch and loosen tight muscles is recommended.  

Lifting: Proper lifting techniques will reduce the risk of back injury when lifting patients or heavy objects in the home environment. The object to be lifted should be at waist height to avoid excessive stretching or bending. Face and stand close to the object or person to be lifted with feet at a wide stance. Using the legs and hips to squat, avoid bending at the waist or twisting while lifting. Refrain from overreaching, leaning, stretching, or standing on tiptoes. Keeping a tight center of gravity and using the large leg muscles to lift will protect the back from strain.  

Sitting: During the COVID-19 pandemic, employees worked from home, leading to increased neck and back pain complaints due to poor home computer stations not ergonomically designed for prolonged sitting. Ergonomics involves the proper workstation to reduce injury in the workplace. When sitting at a computer desk, it is essential to push the buttocks toward the back of the seat and to bend the knees at a 90° angle with both feet planted on the floor. Sit properly and lift the chin and chest while relaxing your jaw and mouth.  

Sleeping: Sleeping on the back or side of a firm mattress will reduce back strain. Placing a pillow between the knees can help maintain back alignment when sleeping on the side. When sleeping, avoid an oversized pillow or sleeping on the stomach, which can strain the neck or back.

Certain conditions in the workplace require modifications in technique to ensure proper body mechanics. Assessing a patient in advance can prepare a nurse to move a patient safely. For example: 

• If a patient is immobile or cannot carry their weight, it might be necessary to use a gait belt or transfer board to reduce the risk of injury before transferring a dependent patient. Use proper posture and lift with the legs and hips instead of only using the back. Stand close to the patient’s bedside to reduce stretching or straining. 
• Put patients at a comfortable height before transferring them to a chair or bed. Raise the patient to waist height to reduce the need to bend or lean, when then reduces the risk of back strain. 
• Assess the limitations of the patient’s ability to assist in moving from one place to another. If the patient is entirely dependent, consider an assistive device. If the patient can help, stand close to the patient and bend the legs and hips when lifting is required. Take breaks to rest or stretch when needed.  
• Proper stance when moving a patient. Stand close to the patient’s bedside while directly facing the patient. Do not twist. Keep the center of gravity low. Use core and leg muscles to avoid lifting with the back. 
• Movement of the legs and hips. Maintain a neutral stance with an aligned posture. When lifting, the dominant leg is placed slightly before the other leg, and large leg muscles are used to squat and lift. Avoid bending at the waist or lifting with your back.  
• Lifting and moving patients. Assess the patient’s needs and use proper posture. Use assistive devices to move dependent patients and tighten core muscles to stabilize the center of gravity. 

The Bottom Line

Nurses perform several tasks each shift that require physical work. Good body mechanics when standing, sitting, sleeping, and lifting can reduce fatigue, muscle strain, and low back injury.  

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