- A study of nurses’ back pain and patient lifting aids in a hospital
- Publish Date : 2003/03/01 Vol.3
- Authors :
- Koichi OGAWA, Tokyo Denki University
Rosemary CHESSON, The Robert Gordon University
- Report Outline :
- Original article
Appeared on Ergonomics of Human System Interaction Vol. 3, No.1, 19/24, 1997.
In October, 1995, a questionnaire on back pain and mechanical aids was distributed to 419 nurses working at Woodend Hospital (beds: 589, staff: 1220) in Aberdeen, Scotland and 229 (responded rate: 55.4%) were returned. It was reported that 52% of the sample were affected by back pain within the previous 12 months (1985). Our investigation in 1995 showed that only 13.5% of 229 respondents had back pain within the previous 12 months. This may be the result of manual handling operations regulation being enforced since 1993. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the most physically stressful duties on the ward; (2) to ascertain the diffusion of biomechanics among nurses; (3) to determine the number of nurses attending the patient handling course; (4) to determine the back pain rate at the hospital; (5) to determine requirements for mechanical aids for patient handling. The following results were obtained: (1) The most commonly used lifting method was the Australian lift (46.2%). (2) The term ‘biomechanics’ was known by 66.8% of the nurses and 74.8% were practicing patient moving and lifting with conscious of biomechanics. (3) 83.4% of the respondents recognized ‘biomechanics’ useful for patient lifting, but only 56.3% attended to the course. (4) 13.5% of respondents claimed to have had at least one episode of work-related back pain in the previous 12 months. (5) When new machines for patient moving and lifting were developed, 79.9% of the respondents wanted to use these devices. It was found that equipment of lifting aids that are in daily use include the Hoist (48.9%), Patient Handling Sling (14.3%), Ambulift (12.1%) and Easy Slide (11.0%).
Keywords: Back pain, Patient handling, Patient lifting, Lifting aids
- Physics in nurse education
- Publish Date : 2003/03/01 Vol.3
- Authors :
- Masako HIRATA, Kobe City College of Nursing
- Report Outline :
- Original article
Appeared on Ergonomics of Human System Interaction Vol. 3, No. 2, 15/18, 1997.
Nurse education is currently undergoing rapid and extensive change. Not only have there been changes in approaches to teaching and the curriculum, but there have also been changes in the way that nurse education is managed, namely moves into institutes of higher education.
It is said that the growth of scientific knowledge over the last two decades has increased the potential benefits of scientifically based patient care by contributing to the theory of clinical care. And, so, if they include natural science into nursing theory, the theory-practice gap in nursing may be narrowed.
But there is little evidence that knowledge of physics especially is being fully incorporated into nursing theory and practice, although one of the reasons may be due to the nurses’ relative disinterest in physics.
This paper shows simple but important examples that attempt to apply physics to nursing and addresses the need to adopt physics in nurse education.
If nurse educators leave physics outside nursing theory, they will weaken the basis of clinical practice and widen the theory-practice gap.
Keywords: Physics, Nurse education, Theory-practice gap
- Active wireless electrodes for surface electromyography
- Publish Date : 2003/03/01 Vol.3
- Authors :
- Masayuki OHYAMA, Satoshi HONDA, Keio University
Hitoshi UCHIDA, Noriyoshi MATSUO, Suzuki Motor Corporation
- Report Outline :
- Original article
Appeared on Ergonomics of Human System Interaction Vol.3, No.1, 8/14, 1997.
An active electrode with a built-in transmitter (named wireless electrode) is presented, which derives surface EMG without any skin preparation and conductive paste due to impedance transforming. Subjects are less restricted with the present wireless electrode than with the conventional telemetry system because of no connecting wires between the electrode and the transmitter. Moreover, it is not affected by noise caused by the movement of wires. Since FM modulation is used in the FM radio band (76-90 MHZ), we can use a commercially available FM radio as a receiver.
Keywords: Electrode, Telemetry, EMG, Electromyography, Electromyograph
- A study on relationship between key displacement-force characteristics and human sensation on thin keyboards
- Publish Date : 2003/03/01 Vol.3
- Authors :
- Tyohji YOSHITAKE, Human Factors, IBM Japan
Tetsuo KATUURA, Department of Ergonomics, Faculty of Engineering, Chiba Univ.
- Report Outline :
- Original article
Appeared on Ergonomics of Human System Interaction Vol. 3, No.1, 1/7, 1997.
This paper describes a study on the relationship between key displacement-force characteristics and human sensation on thin keyboards with a rubber switch mechanism. Six kinds of key switches were selected out of three notebook PC keyboards, and their key displacement-force curves were measured. Thirty-three participants were asked to evaluate five sensory degrees (i.e. key pressure, key travel, tactile feedback, key sound and key shakiness) of six key switches by using the magnitude estimation method. After the evaluations, they were also asked which keyboards are preferred most and worst. Analysis revealed that sensation on key pressure was significantly related to the force at the early stage (0.5 mm) of key displacement, but not to related to the force at the initial peak. It was also found that sensation regards key travel was correlated to the proportion of the travel distance to the initial dip to the full travel distance. These results contribute to the development of key switches to design-in an intended key feeling.
Keywords: Displacement-force curve, Key switch, Key feeling, Tactile feedback, Thin keyboard
- Production design taking designers’ intention into account to realize product function
- Publish Date : 2002/03/01 Vol.2
- Authors :
- Eiji ARAI, Hidefumi WAKAMATSU, Osaka University
- Report Outline :
- Original article
Appeared on Ergonomics of Human System Interaction Vol. 2, No. 1, 86/96, 1996.
Machine design is generally performed by many designers and engineers. They decide geometric shapes and design parameters of parts from different points of views. Product designers stand on how to realize the required functions, and process planners stand on the machinability of parts. This paper deals with the communication between product designers and process planners by adding the designers’ intention to the product model with use of functional features. Machining feature are extracted from the product model with functional features by using a new method called feature loops. Some machining conditions are aolso generated in the expert system where the designers’ intention is referred to realize the require functions. A case study is introduced to show the effectiveness of the proposal to integrate the product designers’ viewpoint and planners’ viewpoint.
Keywords: CAD, CAM, Product design, Production design, Designer’s intention
