With more than 3.1 million registered nurses in the United States, nursing is this country’s largest health care profession. The job is widely respected and is extremely important for the successful care and treatment of patients. Unfortunately, the nursing profession is not without its health and injury risks. In fact, the CDC reports that the rate of musculoskeletal injuries caused by overexertion is higher in healthcare occupations than in any other industry. Hospital workers are injured at a rate that is twice that of the average of all professions, and for nursing home workers, the rate is three times higher. The Grueling Demands of the Job Nobody can deny that nursing can be a very demanding job that includes a lot of physical exertion. Any time you over-exert yourself, you are at greater risk of workplace injuries. In an article about nursing injuries, Professional Safeguard Resources® lists some of the factors responsible for injuries and illnesses suffered by nurses. These include: • Frequent long and demanding shifts • Fatigue caused by standing for long periods of time • The need to take on the work of two people due to inadequate staffing • Larger patient loads per shift due to the increased longevity of the elderly • Inadequate enforcement and monitoring of patient weight handling procedures by management • Employer/employee lack of education on the use of appropriate biomechanics as applied during lifting, moving, supporting, turning and transporting patients Patient lifting and moving has become even more difficult in recent years as the average weight of Americans has been continuously increasing and the morbidly obese are more likely to need medical care.

As a nurse, you face challenges every day on the job. You are expected to assist physicians and follow their orders precisely as dictated. As such, you may occasionally find yourself in a position where you do not feel comfortable doing the job assigned to you and may want to say “no.” But is doing so advisable? The following are some examples of tricky situations that you may encounter as well as advice about how they should best be handled.

A news story recently made the rounds online as it was published through a number of different media channels. It is the heart-warming love story about an ALS patient who fell in love with, and married, his nurse. One version of the story, which was featured on the Huffington Post, can be found here. Response to the story has been overwhelmingly positive, but what nobody seems to be questioning is the ethical aspect of the story. Namely, is it a good idea for a nurse and a patient to begin a romantic relationship?