What are the Most Common Injuries Healthcare Workers Contend With?

People who work in the healthcare industry often do so because they are passionate about helping others. Whether they are doctors and nurses who have invested years in getting advanced education or aides who are providing much-needed care for elderly and infirm residents of long-term care facilities, these hardworking professionals work long hours providing much needed services that are often underappreciated. Few people give thought to the many hazards faced by healthcare workers. From the same type of slip and fall accidents that can happen to employees in all occupational settings to exposure to contagious diseases, healthcare workers often risk their own health in the service of others. At Vanasse Law, we are experienced workman’s compensation attorneys who can help workers get the compensation they deserve when they are hurt on the job. Here are the most common injuries that healthcare workers have to contend with.

Millions of people work in the healthcare field in the United States, and different positions carry their own unique risks. For those who work in the diagnostic imaging profession, there are concerns about exposure to radiation. For those who draw blood there are concerns about needle sticks and contamination with bodily fluids. But these are the injuries that happen most frequently:

• Repetitive stress injuries and musculoskeletal injuries that are a result of doing the same activity over and over again or that require overexertion and strain. In most cases, the healthcare employees that suffer these types of injuries are orderlies, attendants, and nursing aids who may be responsible for lifting and transferring patients.
• Needle sticks that are a result of routine blood draws or injections, as well as those in which patients are combative. Needle sticks can also occur when needles are improperly disposed of or when they fall.
• Violence is a common occupational hazard for those who work in healthcare settings. Patients, their family members and friends can all become combative or aggressive in times of stress or grief. Additionally, the patient population can include violent criminals who are on criminal hold pending recuperation, patients who have taken illicit drugs that make their behavior unpredictable, and patients with psychiatric disorders who are similarly difficult to manage. Medical facilities are also frequent targets for robberies by those seeking drugs.
• Slip and fall accidents happen everywhere, and medical facilities are no exception. Many of these accidents are a result of floors not being cleaned or dried promptly after a spill, or floors being slippery from heavy applications of cleaning products.

The injuries that are most frequently seen in healthcare employees include sprains and strains, slipped discs, bloodborne infectious diseases, infections, and broken bones.

If you are an employee working in a healthcare environment, you are highly vulnerable to on-the-job injuries, and if you suffer one of these injuries you are eligible for workers compensation. You may also be eligible to file a third party claim if negligence on the part of somebody outside of your employer contributed to your injury. At Vanasse Law, we help injured workers get the compensation that they deserve. Contact us today to learn more.