Working as a nurse in the healthcare industry can certainly present health hazards of which employees need to be aware. Workplace injuries are common and often lead to nurses missing work and dealing with lost wages and medical bills.
If nurses are injured in the course of their employment, they should seek workers’ comp benefits to cover some of these financial damages. Nurses need to know what injury risks they face and what steps they can take after a workplace injury occurs.
1. The risk of back injuries
First and foremost, nurses often suffer back injuries, such as lower back injuries or spinal cord injuries. Some of these are short-term injuries that will heal with rest, but others lead to chronic back pain and invasive treatments like injections and even surgeries.
One of the main reasons for back injuries is that patient handling can be significantly difficult from a physical perspective. Nurses often have to lift or reposition heavy patients, which opens up the door to potential injuries.
2. Violence against nurses
Additionally, some nurses are injured through violence that occurs while they are on the job. This can come from coworkers, but it is more often a risk from the patients those nurses are treating. In some cases, violence also involves family members of those patients, such as someone who is unhappy with the care their loved one is receiving.
It appears that this type of violence has been on the rise. In one study, 36.4% of registered nurses said that there had been an increase in workplace violence over the previous 12 months.
Seeking workers’ comp benefits
These examples are just two of the serious injury risks nurses face. Other injuries like needle sticks, slips and falls, and shoulder and elbow injuries are also unfortunately common. Those who have suffered such injuries need to know what options they have to seek workers’ comp benefits. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to our experienced certified workers’ compensation specialists.