Haemodialysis nurses' occupational health and work‐related musculoskeletal hand pain after work: A cluster analysis

AIM: To identify clusters based on haemodialysis nurses' self‐rated work ability, work engagement and self‐reported work hours and to compare the identified clusters regarding hand pain after work. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional survey. METHODS: Data based on the Work Ability Index, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and hand pain severity after work were collected through a web‐based survey among 503 haemodialysis nurses working in Sweden and Denmark. A two‐step cluster analysis was used to identify homogenous groups of cases within the dataset, followed by comparative analyses of the clusters. RESULTS: Four distinct clusters were identified, illustrating differing profiles of haemodialysis nurses' work ability, work engagement and working hours. Nurses who worked part‐time and reported moderate work ability and average work engagement had significantly higher ratings of hand pain after work. CONCLUSIONS: Haemodialysis nurses are a heterogeneous group as regards work ability, work engagement and self‐reported work hours. The four distinct clusters of nurses indicate a need for customized interventions for retaining each subgroup at work.