Aug 14, 2019

4 Common Injuries for Nurses and How to Avoid Them

Nurses have extremely difficult jobs; they are constantly moving around and tending to patients’ needs. In this type of environment, it is very easy for a nurse to be injured.

If you are a nurse, you need to take extra care of yourself so you can continue to take care of others. Being aware of the most common nursing injuries can help you prevent them from happening to you.

Back Injuries

Nurses are required to do a lot of bending, twisting, heavy lifting, and quick movements while on the job. These actions can put extra strain on their backs, especially if they are improperly lifting and/or transferring heavy items.

Ways to avoid a back injury include:

  • use correct body mechanics (bending at the knees, lifting with leg muscles rather than back muscles, etc.);
  • maintain muscle strength;
  • wear good shoes; and
  • implement proper training for incoming nurses.

Cuts and Incisions

Due to the amount of bacteria nurses are regularly exposed to, they are more susceptible to infection, even from minor cuts. Even a paper cut can pose a very real hazard to nurses. To avoid risk of infection or disease, nurses should wash their hands often, wear gloves, and handle sharp objects carefully. Sprains

Ankle sprains can occur if a nurse isn’t wearing shoes with ‘no-slip’ soles. They are constantly walking on uneven surfaces and liquid spills happen countless times throughout the day. If a nurse is wearing improper shoes, they could slip, fall and end up spraining their ankle or worse.

Wrist sprains are also a common occurrence among nurses. This can be the result of lifting a patient or object improperly, exhaustion from prolonged typing, or handling medical equipment. To prevent this type of injury, a nurse should give their wrist a massage or use an ice pack regularly.

Burns

The use of instruments such as sterilizers or autoclaves can be dangerous because of how hot they get. If a nurse isn’t careful or performs the task too quickly, they could end up with a serious burn. Likewise, if they are on break and accidentally spill coffee or hot food, they xxx. If a nurse is overtired, the risk of this type of burn increases.

Hansford McDaniel – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Can Help

If you were injured or contracted a disease while on the job, our hospital workplace injury attorneys can help you file a worker’s compensation claim. We will use our experience to provide you with legal assistance and advice as well as represent you in court.

Contact our firm online or call us at 770-922-3660 for a case evaluation.