The Daytona Beach area is home to many high-quality hospitals and medical facilities, including Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center and France Tower Halifax Health. One of the many reasons for the outstanding care given in these facilities is their nursing staff members.
Unfortunately, nursing ranks as one of the worst occupations in terms of work-related injuries, likely due to long shifts and physically intensive job duties. These professionals and other healthcare workers
often require workers’ compensation benefits while they're off work recovering.
Common Causes of Nurses’ and Other Healthcare Workers’ Injuries
Nurses, aids, and other healthcare employees have physically demanding jobs and are under many stresses associated with caring for patients. While the hospitals, clinics, and other employers are supposed to follow strict safety standards, they often breach this duty. Some of the major reasons nurses suffer injuries and must become patients themselves include:
- Overexertion. Nurses and other caregivers often work in awkward positions as they lift, move, and reposition patients. Performing these physically demanding duties can become even more challenging due the heavier weights of obese patients and the increased number of elderly patients who need this care. As a result, healthcare professionals frequently suffer musculoskeletal injuries in their necks, backs, and spines that cause pain and prevent them from working.
- Workplace violence. Nurses are on the forefront of patient contact and care. As a result, they're often victims of violence by a patient or a family member who assaults them, or by a person attempting to steal drugs. The problem of workplace violence against medical personnel is so challenging, Florida is one of many states in the U.S. that recently enacted stiffer criminal penalties for people charged with assaulting healthcare workers.
- Slip and fall accidents. Spills of liquids, foods, and other substances, worn flooring, cords, and other hazards can causes nurses who are rushing to treat their patients to be injured in a slip and fall accident. In addition, floors can become dangerously slippery when cleaned, which must be done on a constant basis to protect patients’ health.
- Needles. Nurses and other healthcare providers must regularly use needles and other sharp instruments when administering medication and treating patients. They can suffer punctures and lacerations, accidental injection of drugs, and exposure to harmful substances that lead to diseases.
If you're a nurse or other healthcare professional who suffered an injury while performing your job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits to pay medical bills and replace lost wages. Our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys are available to secure the Florida workers’ compensation benefits you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to speak with a member of our legal team about your situation and to receive answers any questions.
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