If you are a registered nurse, you already know how physically demanding the job can be. However, you may not be aware that, compared to others in the health care sector, you are at the greatest risk for injuries or illnesses related to your job.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is partly because RNs have the highest employment number compared to other health care occupations. Another factor is the inherent hazards that your job entails. Here are a few work-related injuries you are most likely to encounter as a registered nurse.
Overexertion
Excessive physical effort or repetitive motion can result in overexertion injuries. As an RN, one of your primary responsibilities is lifting patients, which can result in overexertion. Frequent twisting or bending are also possible causes of overexertion injuries.
Overexertion is the most common type of work-related injury affecting registered nurses. At 45.6%, it accounts for nearly half of all such injuries affecting RNs.
Slips, trips and falls
As a registered nurse, you know the dangers that a slip or trip can pose. Therefore, you put a great deal of focus on preventing your patients from falling. However, you also need to be aware of your own fall risk. Slips, trips and falls are the second-most common events causing injuries to registered nurses, accounting for one-quarter of all such injuries.
Violent events
The rate of injuries from violence by people or animals is much higher among registered nurses than for other professions. As an RN, you are three times more likely to sustain an injury from a violent event than people in all other occupations combined.
