Abstract
AIM: To identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among hospital nurses and explore their effects on productivity loss. DESIGN: An analytical cross-sectional study with secondary data analysis was conducted. METHODS: Data were collected via an online survey of 607 registered nurses working in general and tertiary hospitals in South Korea. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between musculoskeletal disorders and four productivity loss indicators: absenteeism, presenteeism, perceived productivity loss, and work limitations. RESULTS: Musculoskeletal disorders were highly prevalent among hospital nurses, with 83.9% of participants reporting musculoskeletal disorder symptoms in the past week. Lower back complaints had the highest prevalence. Nurses with musculoskeletal disorders were 3.74 times more likely to experience presenteeism than those without musculoskeletal disorders. They were also 3.00 times more likely to report perceived productivity loss and 2.24 times more likely to experience work limitations. However, no significant relationship was observed between musculoskeletal disorders and absenteeism. CONCLUSION: Musculoskeletal disorders contribute to presenteeism, productivity loss, and work limitations among hospital nurses. Targeted interventions for preventing and managing musculoskeletal disorders are essential to mitigate productivity losses and improve nurses' health and job performance. Strategies such as ergonomic workplace modifications, early detection, and effective management of musculoskeletal disorders can help maintain nurses' productivity and well-being. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Addressing musculoskeletal disorders is critical for enhancing nurse productivity and for ensuring the delivery of high-quality patient care. Healthcare organizations can safeguard nurses' health and patient outcomes by reducing presenteeism and work limitations.