Some studies have found that healthcare workers have especially high risks of suffering back injuries and other musculoskeletal injuries. People often associate these injuries with manual labor jobs or operating heavy machinery, but those who work as doctors and nurses in a healthcare setting experience these injuries more often.
One of the main risks, as these studies have found, is that healthcare providers have to engage in extensive patient handling. One report claimed that: “For nurses, heavy lifting is the most significant risk factor for the development of musculoskeletal injuries, particularly in the lower back.” When moving heavy patients who have a limited ability to move on their own, nurses face severe risks of back injuries.
Why does this movement take place?
For patients who are ill, injured or disabled, moving on their own may be difficult or even impossible. Nurses may have to help them through patient handling for a wide variety of reasons, such as:
- Helping the patient in and out of bed
- Helping them transfer from a wheelchair to a bed or vice versa
- Assisting them with daily tasks, like using the bathroom or taking a shower
- Helping them move in and out of vehicles
- Helping to move patients in hospital facilities, such as an operating room
For many nurses, the patient they are trying to move may weigh more than the nurse themselves, putting them at risk. Also, even simple balance and coordination issues can increase this risk. If a nurse is helping a patient walk when that patient slips and falls, the nurse may react instinctively to catch them, but this sort of off-balance movement could lead to a serious back injury.
Those who have suffered significant workplace injuries in a healthcare setting need to know exactly what rights they have to workers’ compensation. Legal guidance can help overcome issues with your claim.