Being a healthcare worker, like a nurse or CNA, can be dangerous. Healthcare workers are much more likely to be injured on the job than most people. Nursing is a physically demanding profession, especially for those who work in elder care or bedside nursing. Nurses and nurses’ aids often bear the brunt of the physical labor that needs to be done, like helping patients ambulate or change positions in bed. Healthcare workers who are injured on the job may be eligible for workers’ compensation. If you are a healthcare professional who got hurt at work, you should immediately contact an experienced Joliet, IL workers’ compensation attorney.
Back Injuries and Patient Care
Back injuries are one of the most common types of bodily harm healthcare workers sustain while working. Hospital staff may not have the equipment needed to safely move bariatric patients, forcing them to attempt to manually help these patients change positions or stand up. Some patients are instructed to walk only with a two-person assist, but the hospital may not have enough staff to allow two people to assist one patient. Nurses and CNAs are commonly injured when a patient they are assisting starts to fall and the healthcare worker intervenes.