The working world has a lot of hazards to it. Whether someone is down a mine or an engineer on an oil rig, each occupation brings with it its own innate dangers. Indeed, across the world about 2 million people each year die either at work or from work related accidents. Considering healthcare to cope with such accidents and the accompanying safety protocols can be accessed in every country around the world, this number is unusually high.
However, it’s been found, both statistically and in public opinion, that healthcare isn’t the most important part of life the average American likes to focus on, and when it’s so expensive they can hardly be blamed for it. Which leaves a dangerous gap between the services available to us, and the people it is meant to service. However, on the other side of the scale, those working in the healthcare sector have arguably the most dangerous job out there. Let’s look at a couple of reasons why.
The Innate Health Disadvantages
When you’re a nurse, doctor, resident, student, or even just the receptionist, there’s a lot you’re going to be exposed to in a hospital or surgery. Every time someone comes through the door, you have a chance of coming across someone with an infection that can easily spread. Not to mention the possible abuse that can occur when working in a customer or public service role: an article concerning Scottish public workers was published 4 years ago declaring attacks against workers was at an all time high.
And then there’s the long hours these people work, and how unpredictable a shift can be. As a public service worker, you may not get home until hours after your shift actually ends. And even then, you may only get a couple of hours sleep until you’re called back in again. Of course it’s often illegal to do so, but hospitals are so stretched they must resort to these means.
The Negligence That Can Arise
When you’re a trained medical professional, a lot of what you have to falls down to the situation you’re facing, and your experience dealing with such matters. And because of this, a lot of treatments are subjective, which can be incredibly dangerous for each side of the equation. A doctor can be wrong, and a patient can suffer because of it. And whilst the negligence here doesn’t have to be malicious, it still has consequences that need to be dealt with.
However, the doctor who administered the treatment, whether it was medication or surgery, can suffer too. Mostly, their professional reputation can be tarnished. And there’s all kinds of lawsuits out there that cover such medical transgressions. For example, plenty of people can file for a painkiller overdose claim when they’re given the wrong medication, or something that was too much for them and made their injuries worse.
Facts tell us working in healthcare is a dangerous thing to do, but that doesn’t make it any less necessary for civilization.
3dysentery