Challenge
When an employee is injured on the job, the processes they go through often lead to uncertainty and stress. When there is an additional health condition, that anxiety is only amplified. While working on a Friday, *Maxine, a Careworks nurse, received the case of *Jeanette, a schoolteacher. Jeanette was teaching when she was struck in the abdomen by a student’s elbow. As Maxine learned more about the case, she was informed that Jeanette was 17 weeks pregnant.
Maxine assessed the contusion to the abdomen and looked for any physical symptoms that could indicate an internal injury affecting the pregnancy. After a very thorough assessment of the employee, fetal movement, and uterine symptoms, Jeanette presented negative for any disposition that would result in a provider referral.
Solution
When Maxine explained this to Jeanette, Jeanette opened up to her and reported that the pregnancy was high-risk due to a history of multiple miscarriages. Because of her empathy, not only nurse to patient, but person to person, Maxine was able to provide reassurance to the expecting mother and was determined to find a way for Jeanette to have peace of mind. Maxine moved forward with recommending a provider referral and attempted to refer Jeanette to a preferred clinic for evaluation.
The patient’s supervisor then intervened and insisted that the patient be evaluated in the emergency room. Maxine proceeded with an emergency room referral, faxed all the appropriate paperwork, and provided the appropriate clinic information for any follow-up care needed, per the client’s instructions.
Result
Even though this incident occurred on a Friday, Maxine was able to get Jeanette the help she needed and have her fully evaluated with ample care. As a result of her thorough evaluation and professional work, the injured employee was able to return to work three days later on Monday morning with light duty. Only a month later, Jeanette was back to working with no restrictions.
It is because of nurses like Maxine that employees are able to turn their uncertainty and stress into confidence and recovery. Additionally, it is because of the trust from people like Jeanette that Careworks is able to help more injured employees now than ever before.
*Names changed for privacy purposes