From The Ergoweb® Learning Center

Readers Respond

Early Return to Work Not Working For Nurses
In response to
How Does the Insurer See Back Pain?
(Ergonomics Today, September 3, 2003):

Many nurses back-injured from lifting patients are well-able to continue nursing tasks other than heavy lifting but many employers are unwilling to provide on-going light duty to keep back-injured nurses working. Following the limited number of “Early Return to Work” light duty days, if unable to resume heavy lifting, work-disabled nurses are generally not welcomed back. Across the country, injured nurses are told, “There isn’t. We don’t. You can’t. There is no [permanent] light duty. We don’t create jobs. You can’t return unless you resume full physical performance, including lifting requirements.”

Following disabling, patient-handling, back injuries