Nurses sacrifice a lot in order to tend to the medical needs of others.  In between monitoring vital signs, dispensing meds, responding to emergencies, and helping patients cope with daily challenges, nurses face injuries of their own at an alarming rate.

Some of the most common on-the-job injuries for nurses include:

Back Injuries due to patient handling – The American Nurses Association reports that more than one-third of back injuries among healthcare workers have been associated with handling patients and the frequency with which caregivers are required to move them.

Toxic Exposure –  Everything from blood borne pathogens and radioactive material to chemicals. There is a lot of bad stuff bouncing around a hospital. Nurses are in the middle of it all every day.
Repetitive stress injuries –  such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Cuts and punctures.

Workplace violence.

Studies by the U.S. government and by many independent university researchers show that hospitals can prevent many of these injuries if hospital administrators are willing to invest enough time and money.  Hospitals may have to buy special equipment to move patients, such as powered ceiling hoists, and they may have to conduct intensive training for the staff.

However, it is not required to prove that the hospital administration was at fault in order to receive workers’ compensation benefits.  Nurses who are injured on the job deserve to be compensated for their injuries and for the time that they need to recover, regardless of who was at fault.

If you are a nurse who was injured at work, contact our office to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced workers’ comp attorneys.