International Journal of Nursing Education

The study was aimed to evaluate effectiveness of educational & selected exercise programme regarding back pain among staff nurses.

All the Staff Nurses from selected hospital of Mysore District were surveyed for 3 days to explore the incidence rate. Staff nurses those who were suffering from back pain were included in the sudy. Participants were selected into a control group (n1=35) and an intervention group (n2=35). The intervention programme involved educational component on knowledge and practice regarding back pain emphasizing on the causes, symptomes and preventive aspects such as ergonomics, followed by selected exercise programme for 15 days in the morning time for 30 to 40 minutes of duration.

Participants were asked to answer structured knowledge questionnaire, structured practice questionnaire. Data were collocated befeore and after the intervention programme.

Data was anlysed by using statistical software EPi-info. Quantiative data was expressed in terms of mean±standard devation. Qualitative data was expressed in terms of frequency and percentage. Independent t-test, paired t test, were used to anlyse the data at 5% level of significance.

Two hundred sixty three staff nurses were surveyed. The incidence rate of back pain was estimated 62.64%. It was estimated that the mean pre-test knowledge score (11.83±3.37) and practice score (68.83±13.5) of staff nurses regarding prevation and management of back pain was lower than the mean post test knowledge score (25.14±3) and practice socre (115.3±4.37). The difference were found to be statistically significant at 5% level of significane. There was a stastically significant decrease in the Intensity of back pain and related absentieesm at the end of 15 days in the intervention group (P<0.05).

It was concluded that the planned teaching and selected exercise programme is an effective strategy which can help nurses to increase their knowledge and practice regarding prevention and management of back pain.