When the nurse has a backache, many people suffer. The nurse herself who has to put up with the pain. The patient who needs physical help from the nurse. The institution, probably already shorthanded, whose services will be further crippled by the absence of the nurse with the backache. The nurse's family who have to live with an uncomfortable, less than happy person. Nursing, if done properly, requires a certain amount of physical effort. This will vary, of course, with the type of specialty chosen, but each nurse should have a basic knowledge matched with the physical capability of meeting the needs of her patient. Moreover, she must not only be able to carry out the necessary techniques herself but also be familiar enough with them and with the body mechanics involved to teach them to others-the patient, the family, other staff members. There are two important people involved in every physical activity in nursing: the patient and the nurse. The patient must depend on the nurse to know how to move or transfer him; the nurse should be able to instill confidence in the patient and protect herself from bod-