Thank you for your letter. Yes, there is very little written on injuries in MCH nurses, and that's why I did the column. Some of the nurses in industry (especially those dealing with birthing beds at Hill-Rom) have information on how they design the bed ergonomics, especially to support legs during pushing so the nurse does not need to do this. Some of the problem is mechanical, some of it is redesigning practice (i.e., avoid lithotomy positions, avoid dead-leg epidurals because often the mother is just as sore as the nurse the next day from hyper-flexion). My best advice would be to contact your birthing bed vendor and see if they have some data on safety. I do think hospitals need to form teams and include L&D nurses in this. I'd encourage you to see the ANA literature on this topic. We do need more research, and I hope some nurses will conduct research on this topic. I am glad you are interested in helping these nurses, and by having this letter in MCN, it could be that an MCN reader may have information for you.

Pat McCartney