Nurses are the backbone of hospitals. In the course of their job, they help doctors, patients and families of patients in many ways. In addition to meeting the expected medical tasks of their job, nurses often provide emotional support and answer questions to ease the concerns of patients.
Dedicated nurses often put their bodies through extreme stress to meet the physical demands of the job. Because of this, workplace injures are very common for nurses.
Overexertion injuries
Lifting and physically assisting patients every day can take a toll. Excessive walking and standing, repetitive movements and lifting heavy patients can cause a few types of persistent injuries.
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Muscle strains and sprains
- Back injuries
- Slipped disks
People who suffer these types of injuries are often forced to miss work as they stay off of their feet to recover.
Other injuries
Accidental injuries can occur in the chaos often present in the hospital atmosphere. Slip and fall injuries, head injuries, puncture wounds and lacerations are common, but not exclusive to health care workers. Health care workers do run the unique risk of being stuck by needles while on the job.
Nurses who are unable to work due to injuries sustained on the job may receive benefits. If you do suffer an on-the-job injury, before filing a claim through an employer workers’ compensation insurance plan, consider consulting a worker’s compensation attorney. Laws in this area change frequently. An attorney who focuses on workers’ compensation should know what your rights are according to the most current laws.