Introduction: Nursing in hospitals, because of the nature of the work, is a job in which work-related musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent. The main cause of musculoskeletal disorder amongst nursing staff is the movement of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders caused by movement of patients in nursing staff of a hospital affiliated with the Allah University of Medical Sciences.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 325 nurses from 30 wards of Baqiyatallah hospital during summer 2015. Data were collected using demographic and Body map Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaires and PTAI index checklist. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 16.

Results: Some musculoskeletal symptoms had been experienced during the last 12 months by 78.3% of the nursing personnel. The results indicated that PTAI index score was significantly associated with musculoskeletal disorders occurrence (P < 0.05)

Conclusions: According to the findings, PTAI is an appropriate tool for musculoskeletal disorders risk identification and assessment due to patient handling in nursing personnel.