Comparing Fatigue, Physical Activity, and Posture among Nurses in Two Staffing Models

Abstract

The high variability and complexity of patient care needs have led to the development of various nurse staffing models. While “pod nursing” has been observed to result in favorable outcomes such as improved patient access, professional communication, and job satisfaction among nurses, the effects of pod nursing on important metrics related to nurse health have not been previously reported. This study compared self-reported estimates of fatigue and directly measured estimates of physical activity and exposure to non-neutral working postures of the trunk and upper arms obtained from registered nurses working in a pod nursing model to estimates obtained from registered nurses working in a total patient care (TPC) model. Results suggested that nurses working in the pod model had similar exposures to nurses working in the TPC model. Consistent with previous work, nurses were observed to spend a small percentage of work time performing moderate or greater intensity physical activity.