In any workplace, there are risks of injury. Some are obvious and some are hidden or rare. The nursing profession is no different. Sometimes we as nurses get injured. It happens and it can be career ending when the correct actions are not taken immediately. Check out the video below as I continue with the final part in the series, Top 6 Most common Injuries In The Nursing Profession: What to do when nurses get injured.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a71fcGeOHsQ?rel=0]

I hope this video helped show different actions you should take after becoming injured on the job. We as nurses should always feel safe while doing our jobs and shouldn’t feel threatened to report injuries. Here are my tips again.

1. Always report all injuries sustained while at work immediately to your manager and/or supervisor. 24% of nurses missed work due to unreported injuries according to OSHA.

• Repetitive motions with even small injuries accumulate over time. We tend to compensate for injuries which make us even more prone to further damage.

2.  Be aware of your hospital’s policy regarding safety at work.
3.  Do not return to work unless you are able to do your job safely!

• A lot of nurses reinjure themselves by going back to work too early.
• Consider a different type of nursing if unable to return to work.

4.  Be aware of how you got injured.

• Was there a breakdown in an established hospital policy? (violence, sharps, communicable diseases)
• Did you make a mistake?
• Is your health/fitness an issue?

5.  Do you need to seek expert consultation for something that you believe should not  have happened to you at work? Know your rights to work in a safe environment.  

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