Nursing is a career choice that involves a great deal of dedication and long hours. The personal rewards of the experience can be great, but certain health risks associated with the profession should be taken into the consideration.
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Fatigue poses health risks in the form of accidents. Nurses working mandatory overtime shifts are more likely to suffer workplace injuries or after-hours automobile accidents.
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Nurses are the primary contact between patients and the medical facility, so they face a greater chance of exposure to infectious disease.
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Thirty-five to 80 percent of nurses will experience some form of back injury in their lifetime. Many of these injuries are treatable, but there is a possibility of permanent injury.
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Nurses face the risk of cut and stab injuries from sharp objects, as well as the additional risks of infection by blood-borne pathogens from these objects.
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Some chemicals, medications and cleaning solutions can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled. Long-term exposure to these substances in hospitals presents health risks.
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Helping with large accidents or a violent patient can result in a nurse suffering the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This frightening illness causes flashbacks of the incident along with other mental-status and behavioral issues.
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