Nurses face many occupational risks of harm on the job. They could be injured by needlesticks. They could suffer from burnout and fatigue. They could be injured trying to lift heavy patients – a common cause of back or spinal cord injuries. Nursing is a very difficult job from both a stress perspective and from a physical perspective.
One of the risks that often goes unnoticed by many is that nurses are frequently attacked by their own patients. This type of violence against nurses is certainly on the rise, and reports have found that, over a stretch of time in 2022, nurses were being attacked at a rate of two every single hour. There were roughly 57 nurse attacks in the U.S. every day. Researchers declared that nursing was one of the workplaces with the highest likelihood of people being injured through violence, as opposed to accidental injuries.
The violence epidemic
Some leading nursing officials have even said that violence toward nurses is an epidemic in the United States. It’s not that this violence is entirely new, but something has sparked a change in society where it’s happening more often than it did before.
What options do nurses have?
As you can see, violence against nurses is one of the biggest risks that they face and can lead to numerous injuries every year. This situation can lead to lost wages, significant medical costs and additional losses. It is important for all nurses to know exactly what options they have after such an incident. They may be able to seek workers’ comp benefits since the injuries occurred on the job and while they were performing their duties. They may also be in a position to file a personal injury lawsuit, depending on the circumstances that led to a particular injurious attack.