Surgical strong: A strength and conditioning approach to nursing staff health and safety

Title : Surgical strong: A strength and conditioning approach to nursing staff health and safety

Abstract:

Surgical (and all medical staff) suffer from high rates of musculoskeletal injuries due to poor ergonomics and an almost complete lack of physical training for the rigors of the position/job. While there is a wealth of information about rehabbing from these injuries, there are very few people approaching this problem from a preventative/prehabilitation perspective. By considering the medical staff as athletes with unique team roles, we can determine the physical needs of the various positions and create individualized exercise regimens aimed to prepare them for their specific tasks and roles. We will discuss how to approach a needs analysis, what training protocols may be appropriate, and how to get staff to buy in to preventative exercises.

Biography:

Gil Spitz is Originally a classical musician, he shifted his focus to preventative exercise helping musicians avoid repetitive motion injuries. He furthered his expertise, researching optimized training for first responders. Since 2021, he has been with the Abdominal Transplant Program at Baylor/St. Luke’s, implementing a hospital-wide method for assessing transplant patients' physical suitability, providing post-transplant follow-up, and developing a virtual pre-habilitation program. He also works with the surgical staff helping them prevent musculoskeletal and repetitive motion injuries and maintain task readiness. He works with providers on a 1-on-1 basis, as well as presenting on OR ergonomics, inter- & intra-op preventative exercises.