The hazards of healing: musculoskeletal injuries and their impact on nursing and nursing care

The hazards of healing: musculoskeletal injuries and their impact on nursing and nursing care Public Deposited

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Abstract

This thesis gives an overview, in a series of three articles, of the extent of musculoskeletal injuries suffered by nurses in the United States and the implications of these injures for the nursing profession and patient care. The thesis uses nationwide data while focusing on the individual experiences of nurses in North Carolina. The first article focuses on job-related risk factors that contribute to musculoskeletal injuries and the costs of these injuries to employers, nurses and patients. The second article looks at actions by legislators, health administrators, nursing organizations and nursing educators to safeguard nurses in the workplace and to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries. The third article is a profile of a nurse who became addicted to prescription pain medication after injuring her back.

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