The demands placed on healthcare workers are overwhelming. What can someone who tends to the sick and injured do to stay safe while performing a demanding job?
Nurses remain on the frontlines when it comes to patient care. These healthcare providers are responsible for every facet of patient care. As such, nurses are vulnerable to a variety of injuries. Discover the most common nursing injuries and ways to prevent them.
Back injuries
Nurses are susceptible to injuring their backs during the course of their duties. Nurses are responsible for patient care, including transporting and moving them. When done improperly, back injuries occur. Utilizing harnesses or a team-lift system may help decrease the chance of damage to the back while ensuring patients remain safe.
Illness
Working with sick people carries the inherent risk of disease and virus transmission to caretakers. Nurses are vulnerable to catching any measure of communicable illnesses from skin contact, airborne sources and accidental needle sticks. Practicing regular hand sanitation and using personal protection equipment may prove lifesaving to nurses.
Mental health issues
The physical strain is only one difficulty nurses must deal with. Caring for people at their worst may place psychological strain on healthcare workers. To offset this, nurses and other providers should talk about their difficulties and make self-care a priority. Getting plenty of sleep and taking time off to reboot may prove helpful.
The pressure and difficult situations nurses have to deal with make them more prone to injury and illness. Taking time away from the job and utilizing safety protocols may prove helpful when it comes to staying safe.