When Work Hurts: Advocating for Safe and Just Jobs for Nurses

Course Description

Nurses and other health care workers face some of the highest rates of work-related injuries and illnesses of all occupations in the US. Frequently, nurses report experiencing aches and pains after their shifts. Most nurses experience low back pain during their career. More than 80 percent of nurses have experienced violence on the job in the past year. Chronic stress and moral distress are taking an extreme toll on nurses’ mental and physical health. These injuries, illnesses, aches, and pains are preventable—if employers prioritize the health and safety of nurses by having the right policies and measures in place.

This CE class will explore the sources of and the connections between the high rates of on-the-job injuries, illnesses, and pain experienced by nurses and the impacts on patient care. After identifying the causes, we will discuss the prevention measures that employers should put in place to protect nurses. Then, we will explore tools that nurses can use to effectively advocate for safer patient care conditions.