Nurses have long been essential workers in Pennsylvania and throughout the U.S. The sheer nature of their work puts them in constant danger of injury and illness. When nurses are injured or ill, workers’ compensation benefits may be needed.
Mitigating the inherent dangers of nursing can be beneficial to staying healthy and safe. Frequent hand washing is a fundamental way to avoid the spread of illness. On the physical side of things, nurses might need to move patients. Doing so manually presents the risk of muscle strains and pulls, especially to the neck and back. There is equipment designed to ease patient transfer, and it should be used.
Vaccinations and immunizations are a fundamental part of preventing infection and illness for patients, but nurses might forget that they too need them to keep from getting sick or passing illnesses and infections on to others. Treating patients regularly requires the use of needles. The number of nurses who are stuck by needles is staggering with an average of 1,000 cuts and needle accidents each day across the nation.
Nursing schedules can require night shifts and fluctuating day shifts making regular sleep scheduling complicated. Adequate rest is necessary so that drowsiness does not negatively impact safety. Pressure can be overwhelming. Psychological help and attention to fitness is often imperative.
Even if nurses adhere to these practices, there is a chance they will be injured or become ill from the work they do. Workers’ compensation benefits can pay reimbursement for medical expenses, cover lost wages, help with retraining if they can no longer perform their nursing duties, and provide other types of assistance. A dispute may arise as to whether the issue is severe enough for a claim to be approved. For workers’ compensation claims, having experienced legal assistance could be critical from the start.