Nurses and doctors dedicate their careers to helping others heal. However, workplace injuries can put them in a position where they need to heal before they can continue that work, and a particularly common source of injury is lifting in the workplace. What should healthcare workers know about these injuries?
Lifting injuries are common in healthcare facilities.
Because daily work in a healthcare setting involves a variety of lifting tasks, healthcare workers are particularly at risk for overexertion injuries. This is especially true if they are responsible for transferring patients from a bed to a wheelchair or into position for diagnostic tests. As a result, hospital employees are more than twice as likely, nursing home workers are more than three times as likely and ambulance workers are more than five times as likely to face overexertion injuries compared to other professions.
Overexertion can lead to a variety of injuries, including:
- Pulled muscles
- Back and spinal injuries
- Wrist and elbow injuries
Workers’ compensation can help healthcare workers recover.
When healthcare workers experience a lifting injury, they face more than the stress of an injury. They will face medical bills and may need to spend time away from work — around 13 days, according to the National Safety Council. Thankfully, workers’ compensation benefits can address the cost of their treatment and the impact of lost wages.
If you have experienced a lifting injury in the workplace, you may want to speak to an experienced attorney. They can help you navigate the application process, address issues if you receive less than you need during recovery or appeal the decision if your workers’ compensation claim is denied.