If you work as a nurse, you spend your whole day thinking about the safety and well-being of others. Sometimes, your safety can take second place, leading to injuries or illnesses that may prevent you from going to work and helping your patients.
The workers’ compensation scheme exists to help you out in such situations. Yet, understanding the risks you face can help reduce the chances that you’ll need to call on it. Common workplace hazards that nurses often encounter include the following.
Sharps
Needles are an essential part of patient care, but they can also carry infections from one person to another. Not only must you and your colleagues and management ensure that needles are disposed of correctly, but you also need to watch out for undisclosed needles in drug users’ pockets.
Lifting and moving
You will have to move a lot of patients and equipment over the course of your career. It’s no wonder that many nurses end up with long-term back pain. Injuries can occur from one bad lift or accumulated wear and tear over time.
Infectious diseases
Hospitals are full of people with illnesses – it’s where they go to get treated. Management must ensure protocols are in place to minimize the chance you catch anything. However, no environment is fully safe in this regard and you may end up sick as a result of your work activities.
If you get ill or injured on the job, understanding how to claim workers’ compensation can get you the financial support you need and deserve so that you can heal and return to the job that you probably love, at least, most of the time.