Rhode Island employers are required to take steps to ensure that their workers are safe. This is true whether you are a construction worker, a retail employee or a nurse. Of course, there are specific steps that a hospital or doctor’s office will want to take to protect nurses from suffering mental or physical trauma.
Seek help for physical tasks
As a nurse, you will likely be responsible for moving patients or other large objects throughout the day. Therefore, you may be at risk for broken bones, pulled muscles or other injuries caused by repetitive movements. Fortunately, you can reduce your risk of getting hurt by using machines that help lift or move people or objects. You can also ask other members of your team for help to ensure that you aren’t putting too much strain on your own body. If you are hurt at work for any reason, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits that pay medical bills and lost wages related to your injuries.
Mental health concerns can’t be overlooked
Working as a nurse can be stressful as you’re constantly dealing with people who are in pain. You may also deal with people who lash out or are otherwise hostile toward you because they haven’t taken their medication or are suffering from dementia. Therefore, it’s important to take advantage of any mental health services available to you through your employer or through the insurance coverage offered by your employer.
If you’re hurt after a workplace accident, notify your employer what happened and then seek treatment as quickly as possible. Doing so may be used as evidence that you were actually hurt at work as well as provide a baseline for how much you may be entitled to receive.