What condition is suspected in a nurse who experiences pain radiating from the buttocks down the leg after lifting heavy patients?

The symptoms described in the scenario are consistent with sciatica, which is characterized by pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, typically from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and down each leg. The pain often results from a herniated disc or spinal stenosis that puts pressure on the nerve root. In this case, the nurse's lifting of heavy patients may have contributed to a disc injury or other structural issue in the spine, leading to sciatica.

The nature of the pain radiating down the leg suggests nerve involvement, which is a hallmark of sciatica rather than a simple muscle strain or spasm. While acute muscle strain and acute muscle spasm could certainly occur due to heavy lifting, these conditions typically present as localized pain rather than radiating pain down the leg. Cauda equina syndrome, while serious and associated with nerve compression, usually presents with more severe symptoms, such as bladder or bowel dysfunction and saddle anesthesia, which are not indicated in this scenario.

Thus, sciatica is the most fitting diagnosis based on the symptoms and circumstances presented.