Most nurses not unfamiliar with being injured on the job
On behalf of of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Injuries on Thursday, February 12, 2015.
As accustomed as the healthcare industry is to serious or catastrophic injuries from various accidents, it would make sense that it would go to great lengths to protect its workers from these types of tragic fates. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. Many medical professionals in Illinois are at significant risk for being injured on the job and are at a particular risk for suffering from back strains.
Nurses tend to be the healthcare professionals that tend to patients admitted to the hospital the most and, as such, are some of the most at risk. When the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a survey related to this issue, the results were shocking. Nurses alone account for over 35,000 serious back injuries annually.
While we may discuss the dangers that industrial or construction workers face on a regular basis, such as our recent post on Jan. 5, 2015 (“Scaffolds common cause of a construction accident”), nurses are actually at much more risk for injury. In fact, it’s the most dangerous career to hold in terms of workplace injuries. Many of these injuries stem from caring for patients, particularly when it involves lifting, moving or shifting a patient in order to proceed with much needed and standard care.
An expert on the subject concluded that there is simply no possible way for a patient to be lifted in a manner that is both safe to the patient and to the nurses. Unfortunately, it seems that standards in the healthcare professions aren’t on a fast track to change, leaving Illinois nurses at serious risk for a workplace accident. Those who have been injured on the job understand that an injury can have much more than just physical implications. The worry and stress of how to meet daily needs or medical bills without the steady flow of income can easily overtake a victim’s mental well-being. In these types of situations, workers’ compensation benefits are intended to help address these aspects of a victim’s life so that he or she can instead focus on recovery and getting back to work.
Source: NPR, “Hospitals Fail To Protect Nursing Staff From Becoming Patients“, Daniel Zwerdling, Feb. 4, 2015
