Lack of lift equipment, training can cause injury to nurses

North Carolina nurses face draining circumstances on the job now more than ever. Even without a global pandemic, nurses contend with challenges that easily overwhelm. While you and many others in this profession likely entered into your career because you wanted to help others when they are most vulnerable, your job also places you in a position vulnerable to injuries, particularly those associated with lifting patients.

You may have to lift multiple patients during your work shifts for various reasons. Some patients may be elderly and have mobility issues that prevent them from easily changing position. Other patients may have suffered a serious injury that prevents them from moving themselves. Others still may play up their injuries and refuse to move even though they are able and need to. In any of these cases, the burden of moving and lifting a patient likely lands on you and other nurses.

Lifting causes injuries

Unfortunately, even though some patients need to be lifted in order to receive the care and treatment they need, this task is one that could easily leave you suffering serious injuries to your back or other areas of your body. In some cases, these injuries occur because hospitals do not make the effort to obtain lift assistance equipment that could help nurses and other staff members more easily lift patients when necessary. As a result, staff members must rely on their own strength to move patients, which could prove dangerous.

Even if hospitals do obtain lift assistance equipment, staff members may not receive proper training on how to use the equipment, or the use of the equipment may not be enforced by superiors. In some cases, staff members may not agree with the recommendations of when they should use lift assistance or believe that they can more easily move patients on their own. Unfortunately, without the assistance of equipment, if a nurse lifts incorrectly or a patient moves unexpectedly, injuries could result.

Suffering an injury

If you do suffer an injury while attempting to lift a patient while on the job, you may understandably feel frustrated, especially if a lack of lift assistance equipment or training contributed to your injury. However, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation that could help you address the financial hardships resulting from your injury. To ensure that you receive the benefits you may deserve after such an incident, gaining information on your rights from local legal resources may be wise.