Being in the medical field as a nurse, paramedic, doctor, lab technician or other medical professional is immensely beneficial to communities. Medical professionals are there to help people suffering from medical conditions and injuries. However, despite working in the medical field, health care workers are at risk of serious injuries and medical conditions.
A medical professional who is injured or develops an illness while working may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits are meant to help injured or ill workers get the necessary medical coverage necessary to recover from their condition and help them with their lost wages.
Here are a few dangers of working in the medical field:
Needlestick injuries
Health care workers often use needles. These needles may be used to draw blood or other fluids from or to inject chemicals into patients. A needlestick injury happens when a medical professional punctures their skin with a needle while working with a patient. Victims of needlestick injuries could lead to infections and life-endangering diseases if a needle was dirty or recently used on a patient.
Patient aggression
Some patients are not as cooperative about medical checkups and evaluations as others. A medical professional may encounter aggressive patients. This patient may simply be unwilling to cooperate with health care workers or be suffering from a medical condition, physiological illness or substance abuse problem.
Fatigue
Many medical facilities are facing staffing problems. Unfortunately, the number of patients often heavily outweighs the number of available workers. As a result, many health care workers are being asked to do more work than physically possible. This may mean working long shifts or taking on responsibilities alone that should be done by more than one person.
If you were injured in the medical field, it can help to learn more about your workers’ compensation options.
