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As a healthcare professional, you likely spend significant time at workstations, looking into patient information, completing administrative tasks and communicating with other providers. The time you spend at clinical workstations matters for providing patients the care they deserve — but a poorly configured workstation can lead to fatigue and body pain over time. Fortunately, focusing on monitor and computer ergonomics can help you avoid certain health issues.
While you complete work at your workstation throughout the day, you may find yourself slouching or slumping over the desk. It’s difficult to maintain a healthy posture when your workstation isn’t set up properly, which could cause back pain and even joint damage. Other potential impacts of poor ergonomics include:
A few small changes can make an impactful difference in your workstation’s comfort and ease of use. Taking the time to make the right changes will increase your productivity and promote healthier practices — your body will thank you in the end.
Make sure your workstation’s monitor is placed and adjusted appropriately. There should be no need to crane your neck to see the screen — it should be about 20-40 inches away from your eyes, no matter if you’re sitting or standing. A healthy distance between you and the screen ensures effective postural alignment of your entire body. Additionally, ergonomic monitor placement will help you avoid making posture corrections over time.
Since the eyes fall at a slightly downward cast, looking upward and above the horizontal point is tiring for your eyes. Whether you’re sitting or standing, your eyes should naturally align with the center of the monitor. This angle prevents computer eye strain or fatigue when viewing the monitor. Make adjustments as necessary until you find the ideal monitor height, so you don’t find yourself having to look too far up or down to get your work done.
Avoid unnecessary strain on your fingers, wrists, shoulders and arms by positioning your keyboard properly. Keep it in a position that allows you to keep your arms and fingers relaxed and neutral. As you type, your wrists should remain straight, not angled up or down awkwardly. Over time, having your wrist at an unnatural angle as you reach for the keys will create unnecessary strain.
Using a wrist rest can be beneficial to keep your wrists elevated off the desk and in line with your hands. Additionally, see if you can tilt the top of the keyboard so you’re typing at a more comfortable angle. A keyboard stand or riser could be helpful if your keyboard doesn’t have adjustment features.
When you’re sitting and working at your workstation, you want to create the most comfortable positioning possible. Of all the adjustments you can make, your chair’s setup can be the most effective, helping you maintain a proper, healthy posture so you can avoid fatigue and strain. After spending hours on your feet, you don’t want to sit down at your desk and feel uncomfortable.
First, ensure your chair is comfortable and in good condition. There are many ways to modify a chair that doesn’t have ergonomic features, but starting with a well-made office chair can make all the difference. A good chair will have comfortable armrests, back support and the ability to adjust its height.
Adjust your chair so you can place your feet flat on the ground and sit fully upright — you shouldn’t have to slouch or lean forward. Make sure the armrests are perpendicular to your workstation so your arms can remain straight as you type. If your chair has a headrest, configure it so your neck remains straight when you’re resting on it.
If your chair isn’t easy to adjust, you can use other items to create a comfortable and healthy chair position. Use a footrest to keep your hips and knees level if your chair is too high. If your work chair doesn’t provide adequate back support, use a cushion or rolled towel between the chair and the small of your back.
Sitting at an uncomfortable workstation makes it easy to develop bad habits that harm your body. In addition to making the above changes to your workstation for proper computer posture, you can try different stretches and techniques to correct poor posture habits.
If you regularly find yourself slouching, try the following exercise once a day:
Do you often hunch over your workstation? Work on fixing that habit with the following steps:
By focusing on optimal monitor height, keyboard and chair positioning, you’ll improve mental clarity by decreasing pain, increasing blood flow and strengthening muscles. Additionally, you can help yourself avoid work-related injuries, including over-exertion and strain.
Investing in a flexible wall arm mount for your workstation is one of the best ways to create a more ergonomic workstation setup. Capsa Healthcare provides wall-mounted arms for monitors, each with signature quality assurance from our ISO 9001:2015-certified manufacturing facilities.
By using one of our many wall arm solutions, you can promote ergonomics with a configurable design while saving space in your work area. Contact us today for pricing information and a personalized quote!