You may have decided to become a nurse because you wanted to help people. You were interested in health care and you wanted to feel you were making a difference in people’s lives. You have found the job rewarding, but you did not understand the injury risks you would face. Now you are suffering from bad back pain.
Is this injury the result of your work duties?
Some of the causes are surprising
Repetitive stress injuries, such as back pain, knee pain or shoulder pain, are some of the most common injuries health care workers suffer on the job. Other common injuries health care workers include the following:
- Injuries suffered from slips and falls (such as falling on a slick hospital floor)
- Injuries suffered from workplace violence (such as a patient attack)
- Contracting illness through needle sticks or from infection control lapses
You may not think that workers’ compensation would cover an injury that developed over time, such as suffering bad back pain after years of lifting patients. However, workers’ compensation does cover repetitive stress injuries.
When making a workers’ compensation claim
As soon as you realize you are suffering symptoms of a repetitive stress injury, you need to seek medical care. You need to document your injury and what your doctor’s treatment plan is. You also need to report your injury to your employer as soon as possible. You want to receive maximum workers’ compensation benefits to cover the cost of your medical care and any time you miss from work.
If you will need to miss extensive time from work or face a long recovery from your repetitive stress injury, you may need to consult a workers’ compensation attorney. You want to ensure you receive the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve.
Do you have questions?
Working in health care is a demanding and sometimes stressful job. If you suffer a workplace injury, you should not be concerned about how you will pay for the medical treatment you need to recover. If you have questions, contact a lawyer who is experienced in this area of the law.