I finally did it. My BACK is really injured... now what??

Nurses General Nursing

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I and another nurse were cleaning my very large, vent-dependent patient who had a bed full of runny poop... and I strained my back while we were trying to hold him over (he was fighting). At first I thought it was simply another pulled back like the many I've had over the years, so I took some Advil and went about my way.

Forward one week.

I am limping, and my left leg has shooting pains down the back. My left groin hurts something awful, and I am unable to SIT for more than 10 or so minutes or I start having excruciating pain in my groin and down my leg. Also, my left arm and shoulder hurt as well.

I filed an incident report (my first one for a personal reason) and went to see our orthopedic PA as required by my hospital's Employee Health Nurse. He diagnosed me with "left hip flexor strain/sprain" and "acute-on-chronic lumbar back pain", told me I was on restricted duty for five weeks (which means I get to do paperwork), and set me up for PT twice a week.

No xrays, no MRIs, no nothing.

Should I insist on diagnostic testing? I know that I've had back strains before, and I do currently suffer with back spasms after working a shift, but this leg and arm stuff is completely new to me and it HURTS. There is no way on earth that I'll be able to care for anyone like this if it doesn't get better! I'm also worried that he didn't ever really address the arm, nor the shooting pain down the back of my leg, which both seem like nerve issues to me. He said he was more concerned with the groin pain. I am wondering if this is because my back was hurting before this incident? He asked me if my back had hurt previously, and I told him that any nurse that came to him and said their back never hurt was a LIAR, and yes, of course my back has hurt previously.

This is all Worker's Comp, of course. (I will be collecting my hourly rate of pay because I'm going in to do paperwork kinda stuff. My hospital has a "Transitional Workforce" for people on WC/restricted duty, so that my unit's budget doesn't pay for me while I'm out.) Does my progression through this so far seem accurate? Normal?

I'm so upset about this, and worried as all heck. I am scared that I won't get better... and I also want to make sure that I'm treated appropriately and get the diagnostic testing that I need.

Thanks for any advice, and for reading. I sure did need to vent!!

Oh, I feel so bad for you. Will read this thread with interest to see how you do.

Specializes in SICU.

Ugh, a lawyer?? Really? Wow... I never even considered that. I guess I'll think about it... but I would feel like such a traitor. I do want to get better and get back to work, with my current employer, and wouldn't getting an attorney jeopardize that? I mean, I know "officially" it wouldn't, but we all know how things work...

Someone posted something about getting paid through WC. Right now I'm not getting that. My hospital has a separate cost center that they pull all WC employees into, called the "Transitional Workforce", and we are used as paperwork people for different areas of the hospital. My EHN says she gets calls all the time from units begging for a transitional worker, lol! She told me they do this because, for me to stay home and collect the WC pay, the hospital has to pay out more to WC than they would having to pay me to do paperwork... so... since my restrictions are "frequent change of position and 15# limit on pushing/pulling/lifting" then I should be able to do paperwork and get paid my regular hourly rate... and it doesn't come out of my unit's budget. Basically I'm a "free" employee for my SICU for the next five weeks!

As far as the testing goes, I'm going to request that some be done. I'm still not happy that the arm and back weren't addressed (other than PT for the back). I was told that it was more chronic in nature, not specifically related to this event, that only the hip and leg are. :uhoh3:

Anyway, thanks everyone for the great advice... and send some healing vibes my way. This hip and leg o' mine HURTS. :o

Specializes in SICU.
i work on orthopedics..and let me mention that the rate of kypho and lamenictomies I see all time from nurses is pretty good, at least 1 per week! Take care of yourself, and I wouldn't count on WC covering hardly a thing! YOU are responsible for you and small money now may stop big problems later!

I can say with all honesty that I'd rather walk with a cane and roll around in a Walmart electric wheelchair when I grocery shop than let ANYONE cut on my back. Once that starts, it never seems to stop.

I am terrified of that. :uhoh3:

Ugh, a lawyer?? Really? Wow... I never even considered that. I guess I'll think about it... but I would feel like such a traitor. I do want to get better and get back to work, with my current employer, and wouldn't getting an attorney jeopardize that? I mean, I know "officially" it wouldn't, but we all know how things work...

Someone posted something about getting paid through WC. Right now I'm not getting that. My hospital has a separate cost center that they pull all WC employees into, called the "Transitional Workforce", and we are used as paperwork people for different areas of the hospital. My EHN says she gets calls all the time from units begging for a transitional worker, lol! She told me they do this because, for me to stay home and collect the WC pay, the hospital has to pay out more to WC than they would having to pay me to do paperwork... so... since my restrictions are "frequent change of position and 15# limit on pushing/pulling/lifting" then I should be able to do paperwork and get paid my regular hourly rate... and it doesn't come out of my unit's budget. Basically I'm a "free" employee for my SICU for the next five weeks!

As far as the testing goes, I'm going to request that some be done. I'm still not happy that the arm and back weren't addressed (other than PT for the back). I was told that it was more chronic in nature, not specifically related to this event, that only the hip and leg are. :uhoh3:

Anyway, thanks everyone for the great advice... and send some healing vibes my way. This hip and leg o' mine HURTS. :o

They can put you on 'light duty', but you need to make certain that it won't aggravate the injury. Sitting can be hell on a injured back, ya know...

As far as the attorney, the hospital doesn't have to know you consulted one. In my case, he explained the law as it applied to me, and gave me instructions on how to proceed to get what I needed done. I never told WC or my employer about my conversation with the lawyer.

Specializes in SICU.
They can put you on 'light duty', but you need to make certain that it won't aggravate the injury. Sitting can be hell on a injured back, ya know...

Yes, and actually I am unable to sit for longer than 5 or 10 minutes at a time right now; it causes excruciating pain in my left groin and down my leg - hence the "frequent position changes" noted on my return to work slip from the PA.

Ugh.

Of course I'm going to follow the advice given here and contact an attorney. So many nurses saying the same thing can't be wrong!! THAT I do know! :lol2:

Do not count on your employer to do the right thing by you. If it were me, I'd be dialing up an employment lawyer and having a conversation.......

Sounds like a case of "what they don't know about they don't have to treat" to me. As a patient if you walked into the ER off the street you'd get better treatment than your employee health provider gave you.

Keep going back and telling them the way you feel so they have to document it and consult a lawyer.

Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.

I worked as a major case manager for Worker's Comp injures, here in Florida, for all most ten years. During season I did staff relief, on the weekends, to keep my skills current. It was on this part time job that I was injured. I notified the supervisor of the hospital, as well as the supervisor of my agency, that I had injured my lower back. My WC insurance company sent me to an orthopedic surgeon, who after two months released me to go back to work. I was still in a great deal of pain, with numbness and other signs of nerve root impingement. I sought out an attorney and he filed for a hearing, after the carrier refused to refer me to a neurosurgeon. The filing for the hearing got them to allow me to see a neurosurgeon who put me in the hospital and ran a myelogram and an MRI. They showed that I had a herniated disk, at L4-5 on the right side, with nerve root impingement. I underwent a percutaneous discectomy and had immediate relief, for four days, when I reherinated the remainder of the disk. The insurance company refused to allow my neurosurgeon to do another myelogram and insisted I be discharged from the hospital. It took me two months to get a hearing before an administrative law judge, who told them they had to get the second opinion, they were insisting on, by October 31 or I would go back in for the laminectomy. The second opinion agreed I need the surgery.

My advice. Know the Workers Comp law of your state, by getting a copy from your state's Division of Workers Comp. Know the time limits on request and on appeals turning down those request. And consult an attorney for his advice. And if your state certifies attorneys according to specialties, chose one that is certified. If not, ask for the names of several attorneys from your state Bar Association. And ask what the attorney's qualifications are. And how he handles his cases. Does he only press for settlements. Does he work to get you appropriate care.

Woody:balloons:

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