If you work as a caregiver, nurse or another hands-on position in a “caring” profession, your employer needs to look after your health. As recent world health events clearly illustrated, when the people who care for others get sick, the whole system suffers.
Unfortunately, the nature of your role means you are more likely to get sick or injured than most workers. Here are some of the reasons why:
1. You may deal with sharp medical implements
Part of your job may involve giving injections to some of those in your care. It only takes one small error for the needle to end up in your body, leaving you susceptible to serious infections. A jab injury may occur because:
- You make a bad move due to exhaustion after a long shift
- Someone walking past you bumps into you
- A patient (who might not be in control of their reactions or thoughts) grabs you
- Someone does not discard of a used needle properly
- A patient has needles in their pockets
Even if you don’t interact with needles as part of your job, you are more likely to get cut generally when caring for others for a host of reasons, so the risk of infection simply by getting cut and interacting with others remains real.
2. You do a lot of heavy lifting
Let’s say that a patient passes out and falls to the ground unconscious, and you need to move them out of danger. A limp body will feel a whole lot heavier than a responsive patient will. Many patients weigh a lot anyway, and with frequent staff shortages, you may not be able to wait for help to move someone who has fallen or needs to be adjusted. Daily tasks such as changing sheets or helping patients bathe can also take a toll on your back.
Ensuring that you get the total amount of workers’ compensation you deserve after you’ve been injured can help you get back to work sooner. While that is in everyone’s interests, you may still need legal help to fight for what you’re owed.
