Hospitals count on their nursing staff to provide patients with essential daily care. Nurses, nursing assistants, and orderlies play a crucial role in saving lives by administering medication, and monitoring the health and recovery of patients. However, nursing employees regularly suffer horrendous injuries that result in long-term health issues.
Our work injury attorneys know how daily physical strain can take a toll on the health of the nursing staff.
“There are significant physical challenges that the nursing staff faces each day,” Scott Mann says, work injury attorney. “Nurses and orderlies are constantly moving for long periods of time without a break. They are also responsible for moving and lifting patients who outweigh them by hundreds of pounds. These obese patients are not moved once, but dozens of times a day by the same nurse. As a result, nurses suffer back, neck, rotator cuff, and other injuries that can negatively affect their personal and professional lives.”
According to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nursing employees suffer over 35,000 injuries each year that result in time away from work. This greatly affects their ability to earn a living, pay hospital bills, and provide for their families. It has been shown that nursing assistants actually suffer a higher volume of injuries than any other occupation (BLS). The same study further illustrates the problem, as nursing staff employees experience 3 times more back and musculoskeletal injuries than construction workers (BLS).
“Workplace injuries cause many nurses to give up their profession at a young,” Mike Wyatt says, work injury attorney. “Studies also indicate that hospitals and schools have been teaching nurses the wrong techniques for lifting patients. When these improper mechanics are combined with the demands of the job, it creates an unsafe work environment where injuries are commonplace. Unfortunately, the complaints of injured nurses are often ignored or overlooked, and hospitals fail to take the necessary actions to protect their staff. ”
If you have been injured in a hospital workplace accident, please contact Mann Wyatt Tanksley Injury Attorneys for a consultation. Our work injury attorneys are honored to serve your case!