The Effects of Training About Prevention of Factors Associated with Musculoskeletal Symptoms on Nursing Students Affectivity

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of pedagogical training program for the prevention of musculoskeletal symptoms in affectivity of nursing students. METHOD: A quantitative, longitudinal, and quasi-experimental study, which included a pre-test, intervention, and a later test was conducted in a convenience sample of 21 students from the 4(th) year nursing degree at a private university in the region of Lisboa e Vale do Tejo. A total of 11 students were included in the experimental group and 10 were included in the control group. A multidisciplinary team conducted the musculoskeletal symptoms prevention program to the experimental group. Participants completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Scale before and after attending each of the 6 program sessions that took place between February and April 2019. Each session lasted for about 120 minutes. RESULTS: Before implementing the program, the groups did not reveal any statistically significant differences in positive and negative affectivities. However, after the program, there were statistically significant differences observed in positive affectivity, showing gains in the experimental group, and a decrease in negative affectivity was observed in the experimental group. A significant increase in positive affectivity was observed in psychotherapeutic techniques. CONCLUSION: Is essential the nursing schools provide learning experiences with an impact on students’ affectivity to allow a better and more effective integration of knowledge and skills in their training path.