The most common injuries ER nurses encounter

Nursing is a rewarding but tough job. Nurses in all fields can develop serious work-related injuries, but working in a hospital’s emergency department is a unique challenge. While many ER nurses love the excitement and unpredictability of the job, it brings its own set of potentially severe hazards.

According to the United Nations’ International Labour Organization, nurses in emergency departments can become vulnerable to several dangerous incidents and scenarios, including:

• Lower back pain from years of carrying patients and standing on their feet for several hours
• Accidental needle-sticks and cuts from surgical knives
• Falling medical instruments landing on the leg or foot
• Burns from contact with sterilizing equipment
• Injuries from violent attacks from patients
• Slips and falls on wet floors
• Stress and burnout from overwork

Hospitals and nurses can do things to reduce the chances of injury, such as wearing non-slip shoes and other protective equipment. But nothing can guarantee that you will not get hurt while working in the emergency department at some point.

Compensation for injured ER nurses

Whether your injury builds up over time from years of repetitive lifting and other tasks or happens in a sudden accident, the results can be very painful and debilitating. It could take weeks or months to recover enough for you to go back to work. Or you might never again get well enough to handle the physical demands of being an ER nurse.

For non-healthcare workers, it can seem ironic that those who care for us during a medical emergency can themselves get seriously hurt on the job. But it happens all the time in Denver’s hospitals. When it does, the injured nurse may qualify for substantial workers’ compensation benefits while they recover.

Category:

• WORKERS' COMPENSATION