Disability retirement/ unable to respond to emergencyies

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi-

Boy, do I ever need your help. Because of a patient attack and my injuries, I can no longer lift, do power grasps, do repetative at or above shoulder level work, or struggle with children who I was immunizing all day, 3 times a week.

My employer is fighting my disability retirement. They hired a MD who discounts my disabilities, even though I have had to have surgeries and have had relapses of my injuries because of having to use physical strength to hold children still while being vaccinated (the parents are often as freaked out as the kids and are unable to hold them still).

The only thing this idiot Dr. admits to is that I cannot respond to emergency situations that would require physical strength or would strain my shoulder, neck or knee (where I am injured).

My attorney says it is vital that I catagorize types of emergencies that would require physical exertion and strength in emergency situations. I know of lots of them, like responding to someone fainting, having a seizure, having a heart attack, becoming violent, falling, restraining-I cannot help them to the floor or struggle with them to be still. I cannot lift.

Please, please respond with anything you can think of.

Thank you so much and God Bless.

Harry

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

If you can't do repetitive motions, you can't do chest compressions if someone codes.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU,ER,ACLS/BLS instructor.

You are 65,on the job injury, surgery, rehurt and they are denying you? People wonder why I would rather have been hit by a car,,,lol.

I am thinking you still work in mental health?

Any situation can arise. So unless you have someone with u at all times to do all physical work,you should not have to work at that job.

Most emergencies require some type of physical strength.

Code: CPR,turning pt for board, lifting for post intubation xray,

Mental health crisis: here the door is wide open. Pt threatening to hurt themselves or others? Pt physically hurting you:

Enviormental Crisis: Fire? who helps the pt's out,pushes cart,stretchers,etc,,,,

PT /family on the floor: who gets down there to help, or do walk over them?

worker's injured on the job are not treated well in most cases. To reduce insurance costs and hold statistics the worker is denyed. Makes no sence to me, but I am telling you it is real. The most degrading,humiliating thing to endure on top of everything else.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

Someone having a seizure: While you don't "restrain" a patient during a seizure, you might have to try to catch them if falling, move them to prevent self-injury, turn them to prevent aspiration. I've had a patient stat seizing on an exam table and had to help hold her there to prevent a fall. Also, a lot of people are very confused postictally and may be combative.

Workplace violence situations. You never know when a patient or co-worker has domestic violence issues and the violent person could come in to "take care of it."

What kind of clinic or practice were you in? That might help!

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Thank you all so much. Keep your ideas coming please.

I am no longer working in psychiatry. The type of work I was doing was in a Public Health clinic, immunizing children to adults. I could not control the movements of many of the children as I attempted to immunize them-they kicked, screamed, wresteled away from the parent who usually could not hold them still. (thank God a needle never broke; what kind of emergency would that be for me to handle).

And, yes, this whole situation is degrading and humiliating and scary (I don't want to be homeless).

Thank you again for your responses. Again, please keep them coming.

God Bless

Harry

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

Boy, do I ever need your help. Because of a patient attack and my injuries, I can no longer lift, do power grasps, do repetative at or above shoulder level work, or struggle with children who I was immunizing all day, 3 times a week.

My employer is fighting my disability retirement. They hired a MD who discounts my disabilities, even though I have had to have surgeries and have had relapses of my injuries because of having to use physical strength to hold children still while being vaccinated (the parents are often as freaked out as the kids and are unable to hold them still).

The only thing this idiot Dr. admits to is that I cannot respond to emergency situations that would require physical strength or would strain my shoulder, neck or knee (where I am injured).

My attorney says it is vital that I catagorize types of emergencies that would require physical exertion and strength in emergency situations. I know of lots of them, like responding to someone fainting, having a seizure, having a heart attack, becoming violent, falling, restraining-I cannot help them to the floor or struggle with them to be still. I cannot lift.

Please, please respond with anything you can think of.

Thank you so much and God Bless.

Harry

Harry there is an evaluation that you can have to demonstrate your lack of strength and loss of ability to perform your job. It is part of what is known as a Work Evluation. It is done by PT, OT and rehab people who have experience in doing such evaluations. Here, in Florida, it was frequently used to prove or disprove stated inabilities.

Kitty:balloons:[/b]

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I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles. I can't think off hand what other emergencies that could arise. It's ridiculous to try to come up with all of them.

Keep in mind, it's not your employer who is doing this. It's the worker's comp insurance company who is requiring all these things. Since you have an attorney I'm sure s/he knows the laws pretty thoroughly.

I do wish you the best possible outcome here.

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