If you count yourself among the thousands of people across California who currently earn an income as a nurse, you may understand all too well that, while rewarding, nursing can be an inherently dangerous, difficult occupation. Nurses typically report higher illness and injury rates than professionals across many other industries, and the long hours and often highly emotional nature of the job can only further compound existing difficulties.
Per the U.S. Library of Medicine’s National Institutes of Health, many nurses who develop illness or suffer injury while on the job experience similar health issues, and that many of those issues and hardships result from similar circumstances. Chronic pain, for example, is among the most common complaints lodged by today’s nurses, many of whom experience pains in their lower backs, knees and upper extremities. Often, persistent pain occurs because nurses handle heavy lifting duties, which might include moving immobile patients, heavy beds, medical equipment or what have you.
