Nursing staff’s movement awareness, attitudes and reported behaviour in patient transfer before and after an educational intervention

The objective was to evaluate changes after a two half-day patient transfer course regarding nursing staff’s movement and body awareness, attitudes, reported behaviour, strain, disorder and sick leave. The course aimed at increasing staff’s self-awareness of movements and body, and their communication competence, with the intention to promote the patient’s independent mobility. Ninety-nine staff in an intervention group and 77 staff in two control groups answered a questionnaire before and after the intervention. After one year there was a significant increase in the number of instructions given and nursing staff’s movement awareness in the intervention group compared to the control group. Reported physical disorders decreased significantly in the intervention group compared with both control groups. Increased movement awareness and frequent use of instructions during transfers may encourage patients to move independently and thereby reduce the strain in nursing staff.