Hospital Nurses and Workplace Injuries
Nurses have some of the most difficult jobs in the country, and they are also among the most commonly injured workers in America. Nurses are employed in various types of settings, from physicians’ offices to nursing homes to hospitals. In hospital settings, nurses often experience the highest rates of injuries due to the wide range of tasks they must perform on a regular basis. What types of nurses work in hospitals, what types of injuries are most common, and how can injured nurses seek compensation for their losses? Our Maryland hospital injury lawyers can provide you with more information.
Types of Nurses Who Work in Hospital Settings
There are many different types of nurses who can work in hospital settings, and who can be at risk of different types of work-related injuries. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), the following are the types of nurses who can work both within and outside hospital settings in Maryland and throughout the country:
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), who can also be described as Licensed Vocational Nurses or LVNs, who provide basic care to patients and assist registered nurses and physicians;
- Registered Nurse (RN), who can monitor and treat various types of patients and may have particular specialties;
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), which includes nurse practitioners (NPs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), nurse anesthetists (CRNA), and certified nurse midwives (CNMs), who hold an advanced degree and can treat and patients, prescribe medications, and much more.
APRNs include, in addition to the above, family nurse practitioners (FNPs) and psychiatric nurse practitioners (PMHNPs).
Common Types of Workplace Injuries Impacting Nurses in Hospitals
According to a study reported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), nurses of all of the types described above can be at risk of the following health hazards in hospital settings:
- Lifting injuries from moving patients or handling equipment;
- Slip and fall injuries;
- Injuries caused by patient violence;
- Exposures to chemical and biological hazards; and
- Mental health hazards.
Seeking Workers’ Compensation Benefits After a Hospital Workplace Injury
If you are an LPN, RN, APRN, FNP, PMHMP, or any other type of nurse who works in a hospital setting and was recently injured on the job, you should begin the process of seeking workers’ compensation benefits.
Under Maryland workers’ compensation law, a nurse can be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if they can show that their injury arose out of and occurred in the course of employment. For most of the common types of hospital-setting nursing injuries discussed above, it will be relatively straightforward to prove your eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits when you work with a Maryland workers’ compensation attorney.
Contact a Maryland Hospital Worker Injury Lawyer Today to Seek Help with Your Workers’ Compensation Claim
Were you recently injured while working as a nurse of any type in a hospital setting in Maryland? You may be eligible to obtain workers’ compensation benefits that can cover your medical care, lost wages, and more. One of the experienced Maryland hospital worker injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can speak with you today to learn more about your workplace injury and to help you seek the benefits you need. Contact us for assistance.
Source:
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11113033/