Nurses’ Knowledge and Practice of Body Mechanic Techniques at Emergency Teaching Hospitals in Erbil City/Kurdistan region – Iraq

Background and Objectives: Body mechanics is a term that indicates a coordinated effort between the neurological and musculoskeletal systems to maintain balance, posture, and body alignment in daily activities, which is essential for efficient bodily functioning. The study aimed to assess nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding mechanical body movement at emergency hospitals in Erbil City. Methods: The study was carried out at the West, East Emergencies and Emergency Management Center (EMC) in Erbil City -Kurdistan Region, Iraq. A non-probability convenient sample of 300 nurses at all emergencies in Erbil city was selected. A special questionnaire was prepared by an extensive literature review and opinion experts. The questionnaires consist of two parts, the nurses’ knowledge questionnaire, which consists of 25 items, and the observation checklist to evaluate practice, which consists of 35 items. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined the performance of the pilot study. Data analysis was performed by using SPSS "vesion26" (Frequency, Percentage, and Chi-square test). Results: The highest percentage of overall knowledge scores was poor (71.7%) and the highest percentage of overall practice scores were fair, (86%). The result showed significant associations and high significant associations between gender, level of education (Diploma in nursing), and knowledge. Also, the result showed a very high significant association between extra jobs and practice. Conclusions: The study concluded that the total means score of knowledge was better than practice about body mechanics techniques. Those results revealed nurses' need for an education program to improve their knowledge and practice.