MenuWhile manufacturing is still Minnesota’s most dangerous job market for its workers, the area with most worker-related injuries on the rise in Southern Minnesota is actually one of its most vital areas – healthcare. Nurses and orderlies are vital to a functioning hospital or clinic, but with a growing generation of elderly and less hospital staffing, it is becoming Minnesota’s most challenging job field for its workers. Yet, workplace injuries in the healthcare field go woefully unreported, likely because of the nature of their work.
Not only are healthcare officials exposed to a number of hazards, but because of the nature of their jobs, they are prone to an increased risk of workplace injuries. However, as they are nurses, doctors, or orderlies, many people expect them to just care for their own injuries. The reality is, they need time to heal like everyone else, but the risk for injury is far above and beyond the average industry. Common workplace injuries for healthcare official in Southern Minnesota include:
- Overexertion – Many hospitals throughout not only Minnesota, but the United States, fail to provide proper equipment for nurses and orderlies to safely lift patients, something they do every day. This can lead to strains, sprains, slipped discs, pain, and lasting disorders that could leave them unable to do their jobs. However, it is not just lifting, hospital staff often work long hours, double or even triple shifts not only for extra cash, but to make sure injured Minnesotans are taken care of.
- Violence – Aside from social workers and police officers, healthcare workers run the highest risk of being violently assaulted at work. Patients and even their families all present a risk of violence when certain factors are presented to them. A nurse may have to deal with trying to place a crime hold on a patient only to have them violently flee. Orderlies may have to subdue a mentally unstable person that has them in both size and strength. Even doctors are at risk when a hospital or clinic becomes a target for robbery due to the presence of drugs. Due to the occasionally precarious nature of patients, all healthcare officials are at risk from violence-related injuries including trauma, broken bones, and, in the worse cases, wrongful death.
- Slip and Falls –There are a number of different fluids that can become loose in a hospital and can end up on the floor. While most are cleaned up, it is easy to forget and even easier for a healthcare worker to slip and fall. Even with the slip-resistant footwear that is common in most hospitals, these work accidents do happen.
- Infectious Diseases – No matter what area of healthcare people work in, they will always run an increased risk of exposure to infectious diseases. Most commonly, this is caused by exposure to tainted materials like the accidental stick of a needle or blood in an open wound. It can lead to infection with bloodborne diseases like HIV or Hepatitis.
While it seems like worker’s compensation benefits are primarily for workers in other jobs like factory work or construction, they are just as important for those in the healthcare field. Not only can workplace injuries leave healthcare professionals without a paycheck that they need, but the nature of their injuries, like being accidentally infected with a disease, could result in death or forced termination. This means that worker’s compensation can help support them and their family after a devastating workplace injury.
As a Mankato native law firm, we at Chesley, Harvey & Carpenter know the importance of the healthcare industry and the hard-working individuals within that put their health on the line just to take care of our own. If you are a healthcare professional in Southern Minnesota and have been hurt at work, contact us today. We can make sure that you get the worker’s compensation benefits that your work injury entitles you to.
Contact A Mankato Workers' Compensation Lawyer Today
Contact the law office of Chesley, Harvey & Carpenter today at (507) 625-3000 for a free case review. We are located in Mankato, Minnesota.