Hi-

 

In the last couple years, we have changed our policy to let employees return to work with restrictions.  If an employee is returning to work with restrictions, then we need to assess to see if they are safe to be working.  See attached chart for how we assess the employee/work restrictions.  The employee needs to have support within the department and we generally don’t let more than one person in a department return with restrictions. 

 

When we have an employee that has work restrictions, the following people discuss the restrictions to determine if the employee is able to return with the restrictions: employee health RN, Human Resource Manager, VP of patient services, and department manager.  Each employee’s restrictions are reviewed on a case by case basis.

 

I hope that helps,

 

Jen

 

 

Jennifer Mora MSN, RN

Business Health and Wellness Coordinator

Stoughton Hospital

900 Ridge Street

Stoughton, WI 53589

 

Office 608-873-2204

Cell      608-235-4239

 

 

 

 

Recently I placed a nurse on lifting restrictions due to a work-related back injury. The supervisor would not allow her to return to work, stating that lifting restrictions were not allowed at all for nursing staff. After she started to improve, I moved the restrictions up so that they matched the maximum required lifting in the job description. Still, the supervision refused to let the nurse RTW.

 

When I discussed this with supervision, the response was that all nursing staff must be able to assist/catch a patient who is falling. I certainly understand this line of reasoning, but it is not consistent with the published job description by which we assess fitness for duty upon hire, which is occasional lifting of up to 100 pounds and frequent lifting up to 50 pounds.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a nursing standard that I am not aware of that would help support supervision’s position? Without some other official reference, my opinion is that supervision is heading down a road in which no one could actually be physically qualified!

 

I would welcome your input/opinions!

 

David

Confidentiality Notice: This email message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.