Nursing is not always considered to be a particularly dangerous occupation, the way that people tend to perceive becoming a firefighter or a police officer. However, there are actually many hazards and injury risks that nurses and other medical professionals face every single day. Some of the injuries that nurses sustain may be so severe that they need to seek workers’ comp benefits.
How do these injuries happen? Every situation is different and injuries can happen in numerous ways, but these are three of the most common.
Overexertion injuries
One oft-cited issue occurs when nurses overexert themselves while trying to do physical tasks. An example of this could be if a nurse has to help lift a heavy patient. Nurses should ideally work in teams to do things like this, but hospitals are often very busy and understaffed. As a result, many nurses try to accomplish dangerous patient care tasks on their own and may suffer severe back and spinal cord injuries as a result.
Exposure injuries
Additionally, nurses often work around harmful substances and with dangerous tools. A nurse could be exposed to chemicals or dangerous medications. They could be injured when they are stuck with a needle that was intended for a patient, potentially exposing them to illness. Many medical professionals also have to work with sharp cutting implements and other tools that could cause severe injury on the job.
Violence against nurses
Finally, it’s important for people to realize that nurses are subjected to a surprising amount of violence. It has been reported that there are roughly two attacks against nurses every hour. Nurses are attacked by the patients they are trying to help, in some cases, and they also suffer assaults from family members or other guests who are visiting those patients. Even minor assaults can lead to injuries that can keep a nurse out of work.
The legal options nurses have
When nurses are injured on the job, they need to know what legal steps to take. They may deserve workers’ comp benefits to make up for some of their lost wages and the medical bills they may be facing. Seeking legal guidance is a good way to get started.