Nursing staff are
in a variety of different health service centers: hospitals, nursing homes,
ambulance services, and community-based organizations, and they are all targets
of work related injuries. The very
nature of their work can lead them into hazardous situations. Other research
shows that tiredness due to overwork can also cause a higher rate of stress and
injuries in the nursing profession. In fact, all work related environments have
certain triggers that can set off a number of problems. For example – exposure
to hazardous chemicals can cause problems when they are not in a controlled
situation. And this could have short and long term effects on the nursing
staff, and ultimately the patients in their care.
Workers all over
the world in other companies everywhere all need their jobs, and sometime, they
could be susceptible to a serious illness, or to accidentally injure
themselves. Working in any environment can be very rewarding and enjoyable, but
it can also take its toll in terms of stress and disease.
Related:
Overcoming
IV Anxiety
Type of Injuries in the Nursing Profession
Information from
the Center for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) says that of the more than
18 million workers in healthcare, up to 80% of them are a woman. Cases of
non-fatal injury and illness are reported on a daily basis. Here are some of
the top causes of injury in the Healthcare industry:
●
Fatigue / On-going stress: all workers in the healthcare industry are more
susceptible to having musculoskeletal problems (MSDs)because of the very nature
of their jobs;
●
Activities that involve lifting and moving
patients: many nurses and RN can injure their
back or shoulders as they lift the dead weight of a patient;
●
Needle Injuries: all healthcare workers will deal with needles as well as other sharp
equipment at some stage during their career. Often one of these instruments can
pierce the skin;
●
Criminals: very often, robbers or thugs on the run are in the hospital for
gunshot wounds and other injuries. This raises the danger levels for all
hospital staff. And because hospitals stock so many drugs, they are also at
risk of being robbed;
●
Falls: Healthcare
workers can slip on a wet floor when something has been spilt and injure
themselves.
●
Staff Shortages: Most clinics and hospitals have staff shortages due to budget
constraints, which mean that the rest of the staff are overworked and tired.
Being tired all the time can lead to accidents happening and mistakes being
made.
Work Related
Injuries in Other Environments
Wherever you work, there is always a chance of something
going wrong, an unintentional accident perhaps or someone slipping or tripping
over something – it is bound to happen someday in your work environment. And
while your organization may take all the necessary precautions, something
untoward can still happen. How an employer responds to an accident at work is
very important, and can make all the difference in the outcome of the problem.
Below, we will give you some guidelines on what the procedure should be when an
accident or injury happens in a working environment:
1.
Make sure
the employee is being attended to by qualified personnel
Whatever has
happened or taken place, the employer needs to treat the employee as the most
important person at this point. The quicker they are treated, the quicker you
will have a resolution. Either call 911 or take the patient to the hospital
yourself depending on the urgency of the situation.
2.
Secure the
Scene
Keep the
scene of the accident secure and untouched at all times so the investigators
can see it exactly as it was when the accident took place. Do not let all your
other staff walk around trying to find out what happened, rather get a few
colleagues to make sure the scene is safe and then everyone should go back to
work.
3.
Fill in the
Necessary Paperwork
An accident
report has to be filled in as soon as possible and sent to your Workers’
Compensation Insurance Carrier within 24 hours.
4.
Put a plan
in Place for when the Employer comes back to work
Depending on
the type of injury it could be weeks or even months before the employer comes
back to work. Injuries such as broken bones, sprains or strains will need the
longest time. The employer should also set up a kind of bridging program to
ease the employee slowly back into working a full day again. This can go a long
way towards mending any broken bridges – if there are any.
5.
Make a
Commitment to Safety
Employers
can make it very pleasant for the employee to return to work. Acknowledge their
injury, be sympathetic, help them get back into the swing of work, boost their
confidence by giving them small projects to work on until they are strong
enough to a full day. Make safety priority in your work environment – let the
employees see that you value them and are concerned about their safety. This
goes a long way to building solid employer / employee relationships.
While the incidence of work-related injuries is still very
high, let’s look at the ways in which we can prevent accidents taking place in
the workplace. Wrist, back, and ankle sprains are among the injuries that
happen the most in a work environment. These types of injuries are particularly
prevalent among nursing staff because they are standing or walking almost all
day every day. And then heavy equipment and patients often need to be lifted
and moved. There are ways of avoiding these types of injuries:
1.
Spend some money on comfortable shoes that give you proper
support around your feet, particularly your arch and your ankle – and make sure
they are non-slip shoes;
2.
Stretch your back, arms and leg muscles regularly
throughout the day – change position when you are standing, or try and touch
your toes a few times to warm up for the day ahead;
3.
Try and go to an exercise class at least twice a week so
you can keep yourself in tip top condition – with muscles that are strong and
firm;
4.
Take breaks during the year – a long weekend is good for
the soul and good for your health - go away into a different environment and
relax for 3 days. Do this more than once a year;
5.
Get lots of rest. Read a good book, watch some TV or do
some baking to relax when you get home from work. Go to bed early and at the
same time every night – it will make a world of difference to how you feel;
6.
If you have to lift heavy objects and patents, then use
the strength in your legs, not your back muscles;
7.
If you feel muscles twinging or feeling stiff and sore get
help at once – do not wait for it to develop into a spasm because then it takes
longer to heal, and just makes you feel awful all round.
Conclusion
What come
out from this article is that it is very important to take care of yourself
before you can worry about other people. If you are tired and have a headache,
you are not at your best, and that is unfair to the people you work with. You
owe it to your colleagues and your employer to be in the best condition
possible. And, if there is a work-related injury take care of it - follow all
the steps we discussed earlier on. If it is done properly, it will benefit the
employee and the employer.
Related:
International
Nurses Association
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