When you think of all the dangerous industries where workers can easily get hurt or killed carrying out their daily job duties, few people immediately list the field of health care. But the fact remains that it is very easy for a nurse or other medical professional to get badly injured on the job.
According to one past president of the American Nurses Association (ANA) who in addition to having her RN also has earned a PhD, it is vital to “take care of our nurses so they can take the best care of our patients.”
Common nursing injuries
In a Safe Healthcare blog post published on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website, the health care professional detailed some statistically common facts about the injuries suffered by nurses in the United States.
This profession, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), has the highest rate of occupational injuries that are nonfatal.
One way that nurses frequently get injured on the job is by lifting and moving patients manually. The American Nurses Association Health Risk Appraisal cited the 42 percent of surveyed nurses who claimed lifting and repositioning heavy objects were part of their daily responsibilities despite posing a significant risk to their work environment safety.
Some injuries may stem from violence
Approximately 25% of all nurses have experienced a physical assault on the job. Their attackers are sometimes their own patients but are also often the relatives or friends of their patients or even strangers. Bullying can also become a problem in health care settings.
Stress in the workplace can also take a toll on a nurse’s well-being and health. Of the nurses who responded to the ANA Health Risk Appraisal, a full 82% stated that workplace stress was significant risk of the job.
These risks remain unacceptable
The nursing professional noted that “[t]hese dangerous conditions can never be accepted as ‘just part of the job.'” To combat any complacency in the industry, the ANA created a portal, HealthyNurse® Health Risk Appraisal, that allows nurses to self-identify safety risks in their work environments.
Nurses can also use this portal to find resources that can help them discover better and healthier habits. The portal is also a good way for nurses to compare their actual risks with national averages and ideal industry benchmarks.