When you think of dangerous industries to work in, what comes to mind?
- Construction
- Transportation
- Fishing
- Logging
- Landscaping
What you may not think of is nursing. The nursing profession is rewarding but very tough. On top of working in an already stressful environment, nurses face many hazards that can cause them to harm on a daily basis. This Becker’s Hospital Review article gives us some insight into what nurses go through on a daily basis. At Hiden, Rott & Oertle, LLP, we are here to help if you have been hurt at work. Our San Diego work injury attorney will be by your side, fighting to secure the compensation you deserve for all of your incident-related expenses.
A Painful Industry
Pamela Cipriano says that “We must take care of our nurses so they can take the best care of our patients.”
She is right, but many of us just do not know the dangers that nurses face day in and day out. Dr. Cipriano gives us some alarming statistics:
- The nursing field has the highest nonfatal occupational injury rate of any industry.
- 42% of nurses say that their jobs include heavy lifting, a major contributor to injuries.
- 1 in 4 nurses have been physically assaulted.
- 82% of nurses say they have serious workplace stress, a major contributor to both physical and mental injuries.
Nurses are the front line of care in most healthcare facilities. Think about it. When you go to the hospital, you have much more face time with a nurse than with a doctor. The situations that nurses encounter in the ERs alone is are difficult. They often deal with combative patients and even those who are being charged with violent crimes.
Other Industries
The nursing field is just one of many that pose significant risks for workers. Let’s take a look at the main OSHA workplace violations to get a better idea of where the main problems are:
- Fall protection in construction violations
- Scaffolding violations
- Ladder violations
- Industrial truck violations
- Machinery and machine guarding violations
We also know that many injuries that workers suffer are not as easily visible. For high-stress work environments such as nursing, many workers suffer from mental illnesses that occur due to the conditions they must constantly be around.
Other industries have workers in environments that allow them to sustain repetitive stress injuries. Often, the symptoms of these injuries do not appear until years after someone has been on the job.
What You Can Do
We know that all workplaces pose dangers. If you have been injured at work due to the negligence of another person, you should consult with an attorney. At Hiden, Rott & Oertle, LLP, we will work with you to investigate what happened and determine if you are getting the compensation you should be getting. This includes not only coverage of medical expenses, but also other hidden costs like lost wages and pain and suffering damages. If you need a work injury attorney in San Diego, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling our office.