Nurses in Danger: Part Three
It’s been a week since Megan hurt her back moving a large patient at work. She has been in so much pain that she hasn’t been able to work, and she’s starting to worry about what step she should take next. She reaches out to Amy, a friend and fellow nurse who hurt her back three years earlier.
Questions Lead To Concerns – What Should I Be Doing?!
When Megan calls Amy, Amy asks her if she’s done a few things:
- Did you tell your floor manager, supervisor or HR department about your injury?
- Are you going to the doctor and getting treated for your symptoms?
- Have you started filling out paperwork to get workers’ comp benefits?
Right after her injury, Megan did tell others at the nurses’ station about her injury. When she called in sick following the injury, she also mentioned the injury to her scheduler. But she hadn’t done anything more official than that, and Amy’s question made her nervous. Had she messed something up? Would that keep her from getting workers’ comp? Could she be fired?
Amy sensed that Megan was growing concerned, so she tried to calm her down. She told Megan that there are a lot of requirements to get workers’ comp, but resources are available to help injured nurses (or any injured worker) follow these rules. She told Megan how she had hired a workers’ comp attorney to help her file the paperwork and navigate the system. The attorney also helped her understand what her employer could and could not require her to do (such as returning to work) and gave her peace of mind because she felt like the attorney made sure the system treated her fairly.
How does Megan’s story end? Read part four of this series to find out!
