What if the one who treats you is the one who is injured? Returning healthcare workers to wellness

Nurses are usually thought of as playing a role in helping injured or ill people get better, however from a workers' compensation standpoint, members of the nursing profession face unique challenges and opportunities when returning to work after a work-related injury.

Challenges

Physical
Often nurses (as well as CNAs, home health aides and other care staff) may be required to lift a great deal of weight, potentially deal with combative patients, and be on their feet for long periods of time.  The shifts they work may be long, and require them to walk great distances. From a WC perspective, the physical requirements of jobs in the healthcare field can present an obstacle for early return to work opportunities.


Vocational
The level of expertise and skill varies among nursing staff.  Licensing and certification guidelines delineate what members of the nursing profession are able to do, and conversely, not do.  These "qualifications create a hierarchy within the workforce that affects the RTW options for nurses" (Southgate, et al., 2011, p. 195).  Typically, LPNs are required to perform more of the heavy manual work than RNs.  On the flip side, nurses who are highly specialized, such as intensive care unit (ICU) nurses may be limited in their ability to work in other areas of a hospital.

Life circumstances
The typical workweek of nurses is rarely Monday through Friday, 9-5.  They may be working multiple weekend shifts, evenings and/or multiple part time shifts various days of the week.  Nurses who are responsible for taking care of their own children, their parents, or may have other commitments outside of work, would be required to re-arrange their childcare/eldercare and their personal schedules to accommodate light duty schedules. While employers aren't always required to offer the same shift, they should try to match the injured worker's pre-injury hours as closely as possible.


Is the IV drip half empty or half full?  What is sometimes presented as a challenge can also turn out to be an opportunity.  The healthcare industry is also full of opportunities for RTW, you may have to change your view, squint your eyes, tilt your head...but they are there!

Opportunities

Supply and Demand
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare industry "is expected to grow by 33 percent, or 5.7 million new jobs" (BLS, 2012).  Needless to say, qualified healthcare workers are in demand.  Researchers interviewed twenty-five RTW coordinators in the Australian healthcare industry and found that most employers tend to view injured nurses as "a valuable resource, not expendable or replaceable" (Southgate, et al., 2011, p. 196).  Retain the employees you have and you will foster loyalty and employee morale, all while reducing the costs of turnover and hiring replacement workers. 

Vocational
Leveraging the expertise and skills of more experienced nurses provides for additional RTW opportunities.  Pairing up a more experienced nurse with a less experienced nurse can allow for additional training, but also allow the less experienced, non-injured nurse to assist with the duties outside of the injured nurse's restrictions. Think of it as the buddy system.  Errors or mistakes may be reduced when there is another set of experienced eyes.  Injured RNs are likely able to perform duties such as admissions and discharges, patient education, medications, and documentation.  Remember, employers can look at the injured employee's job description for less physically demanding tasks, but they can also look at other jobs for ideas as well.

If you have a RTW challenge involving a healthcare worker, consider the hidden opportunities that exist within your organization.  We have an extensive list of modified duty suggestions for various types of healthcare occupations on our website (you must log in to access).

Sources: 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Projections Overview,
     on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/projections-overview.htm (visited September 18, 2012).

Southgate, E., James, C., Kable, A., Bohatko-Naismith, J., Rivette, D., & Guest, M. (2011). Workplace injury and nurses: Insights from focus groups      with Australian return-to-work coordinators. Nursing and Health Sciences, 13. 192-198. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2011.00597.x