While nursing may not be at the top of the list of most dangerous occupations, nurses still face higher-than-average risk of health complications due to their career and they are more likely to suffer overexertion injuries than most professionals in Pennsylvania.
Nurses working in Philadelphia hospitals, care facilities, and nursing homes play an important role, but many at some point face health problems due to their job that prevent them from working.
Nursing Is a Physically Demanding Job
Nursing is a very physical career that often requires strenuous tasks such as moving patients. According to the New York Times, the average nurse works a 12-hour shift that can feel even longer due to the physical strain. The same article reported that 75% of nurses suffer a strain or sprain in the workplace and about 50% of all nurses experience lower back pain or injuries within any given year.
Nurses are at a higher risk for a variety of potentially disabling injuries, especially overexertion injuries caused by sudden or repeated trauma or exertion. Nurses who work in a hospital are twice as likely as other workers to suffer these injuries while nursing home workers are three times as likely to suffer an overexertion injury.
In addition to the physical demands of the job, nurses and other healthcare shift workers are at a higher risk of sleep disorders, heart disease, diabetes, and stress than the general public.
Sometimes injuries sustained by nurses can be shown to be a work-related accident and qualify for workers’ compensation, but this can be very challenging in some cases, especially with heart disease and back injuries. Nurses who have become disabled and unable to work may qualify for workers’ compensation and/or a long-term disability claim. If you are unable to work and need help filing an LTD claim or appealing a decision, an experienced LTD attorney in Philadelphia can help.
The post Nurses At High Risk of Workplace Injuries appeared first on Philadelphia Disability Insurance Lawyer.
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