Many health care professionals suffer injures at work due to injuries they receive working with patients. A typical Virginia work injury case involves a nurse who wrenches her\/his back while lifting a patient who is not mobile or heavy. In many ways, this type of injury is akin to a construction worker who might be injured carrying heavy loads.<\/p>\n
This blog will review the various types of injuries nurses can suffer and some of the unique worker\u2019s compensation issues that nurses have to deal with. Nurses include those who work in a hospital, in a nursing care facility, ambulatory surgery center, mental health facility, clinic, doctor\u2019s office, and those who provide in-home services. Nurses or Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA\u2019s) who suffer occupational illnesses due to work are also entitled to benefits. This means they are entitled to 2\/3rds of their lost wages while they are unable to work for up to 500 weeks, plus payment of all medical bills related to the work injuries, for life. They may also be entitled to vocational re-training benefits if their injury or illness necessitates that they obtain new job skills.<\/p>\n
In many hospitals, personal assistants, technicians, and other staff members may also have to physically handle a patient. We see these injuries frequently. In our experience, they happen most often during the transitioning of a patient to or from a shower, bed, or wheelchair. It can also happen, for instance, where a nurse needs to restrain a patient who has gotten out of control in a mental facility. These workers should be able to claim Virginia workers\u2019 compensation<\/a> benefits. But these injuries can also occur as in other industries\u2014slipping on ice or water, falling down a flight of stairs while carrying equipment, etc. Statistically, nurses suffer as many work injury problems as almost any other industry including construction work.<\/p>\n Some of the more common types of injuries and illnesses nurses suffer are:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There really is not a safe way to lift a patient without the new lifting rigs that are starting to appear more and more at facilities. To put patient work in perspective, most male workers who do industry or construction work are judged by their ability to lift or move 25 pounds or 50 pounds. In contrast, many hospital patients weigh 200 pounds. And lifting a patient is more dangerous because if a load of wood or inventory drops, the damage wood or inventory can be fixed or replaced. Patients are human beings who should be treated with extreme care \u2013 especially sick ones who can\u2019t fend for themselves. Most nurses are women who are lighter and less strong than men.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hospitals and nursing facilities should take more steps to help their nurses and staff manage patient and also the equipment which they often have to push around from room to room. As mentioned, there are now mechanical devices that can help nurses do the lifting. There are methods to make the shift from a bed to gurney easier. Multiple nurses should assist with difficult patients. Nurses should be taught the proper techniques for lifting and carrying.<\/p>\n Of course, we know that many facilities try to get by with less, whether it means less personnel or less equipment.<\/p>\n The key in worker\u2019s compensation cases is to be able to prove that a specific accident or incident caused the injury as opposed to daily performance of the job. An experienced workers\u2019 compensation understands what activity qualifies as a workplace accident and when repetitive injuries may qualify for compensation. Do not assume you do not have a case if you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or from an injury that occurred over time. You may be able to argue, for example, that while these injuries were repetitive there was still one day, one incident, that uniquely pushed your ability to work to an inability to work status.<\/p>\n Another difference is that nurses often cannot return to a light duty position. There is no job, for example, that says the nurse will lift only patients who weigh less than 50 pounds. Nurses often cannot return to a desk job. Their job is to treat patients. If they can\u2019t physically handle their patients, then they need to seek a new career.<\/p>\n Nursing is also unique because of the human component. Even if a nurse can get help moving or lifting a patient, nurses need to be healthy. If they\u2019re not completely focused, they may give a patient the wrong medication, may fail to take a necessary medical test, or may not make the right decision to call for a doctor when needed.<\/p>\n Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants should understand that filing workers\u2019 compensation complaints in Virginia is perfectly legitimate. Joe Miller has represented numerous nurses and CNA\u2019s and obtained thousands of dollars in compensation for them. In our experience, the larger healthcare organizations are not pinching pennies as much as other industries. Why? Because they are making a tremendous amount of money. And so oftentimes, the settlements for nurses and other healthcare workers can be higher than in other industries such as construction.<\/p>\n You should not worry about being fired or reprimanded for filing a legitimate claim if you are unable to work. That would be illegal<\/a>. The best course of action is to speak with an attorney who knows workers compensation in either Virginia or North Carolina to fully understand your rights and to assert them if you are hurt. If you are a health care provider suffering from a work-related illness or you are in physical pain, please call Joe Miller at (888) 694-1671<\/strong> or fill out my online contact form. You may be entitled to a significant recovery.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many health care professionals suffer injures at work due to injuries they receive working with patients. A typical Virginia work injury case involves a nurse who wrenches her\/his back while lifting a patient who is not mobile or heavy. In many ways, this type of injury is akin to a construction worker who might be … <\/p>\nNursing Injuries and Illnesses<\/h2>\n
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Unique Issues<\/h2>\n
Speak with an Experienced North Carolina Workers\u2019 Compensation Attorney today<\/strong><\/h3>\n