Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits protect professionals from a sudden lack of income. Those who have an adequate work history and debilitating medical issues may qualify for SSDI benefits.
Provided that they cannot work at all and their condition should last a year or longer, they may be eligible for SSDI benefits. Sometimes, nurses and other professionals who dedicate their lives to the medical support of others end up unable to work because of job hazards.
Many people apply for SSDI benefits because of personal medical issues, but sometimes the issues that leave people unable to work directly relate to their employment. What job hazards might ultimately leave a nurse reliant on SSDI benefits?
Overexertion injuries
Patient care is a major part of medical work. Those working in hospitals, nursing homes and similar environments may need to provide physical support for patients or residents. Attempting to lift or support an adult could lead to serious injuries. In some cases, the damage caused in an overexertion situation might result in permanent injuries that limit someone’s functional capabilities. Someone who can no longer lift or twist without pain may not be able to work in nursing or in any other profession that requires that they stand or perform physical tasks.
Exposure to dangerous items and substances
A small mistake might be all it takes for a medical worker to develop a debilitating condition. For example, an accidental needle stick might result in them acquiring a condition that may prove terminal, like HIV/AIDS. Other times, it might be exposure to radiation that sickens a worker, leading to a terminal or long-lasting illness. Even accidental contact with workplace machinery might render someone incapable of continuing to work. Someone who accidentally contacts an artificial external defibrillator, for example, could suffer permanent physical injuries that leave them incapable of working in the future.
Patient violence
Elderly people, those withdrawing from addictive substances and criminals are just a few examples of patients who could become violent. Violence involving weapons or a punch to the head could render someone incapable of working. A traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the face could affect someone’s personality or memory, leaving them unable to work. Other times, it could be the intense psychological trauma that comes from patient violence that renders somebody incapable of working. Post-traumatic stress disorder or agoraphobia might leave a highly-trained professional incapable of working even the most basic job due to their extreme reactions to common sights or sounds.
SSDI benefits can be a crucial form of protection for workers who can no longer maintain any form of gainful employment because of medical challenges. Those working in medical environments may benefit from support as they seek out SSDI benefits after a career-ending injury or illness, given the complexities at issue and all that is at stake.