Most of the time, with the proper precautions, employees can avoid an on-the-job injury. However, in some areas or industries, no amount of preparation can prevent an accident.
In fact, according to the latest available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are still approx 2.8 million experienced injuries per 100 full-time employees in the average organization – a figure that has remained fairly constant since 2019.
However, the common goal among employers is to limit the number of injuries that occur in the workplace and keep employees as safe as possible.
Report for work injury
When an injury occurs at work, certain processes must be followed from a legal and employee welfare point of view. One of the earliest steps in this process is filing a workers̵
7; compensation claim.Depending on your insurance company, you may have a medical management program that can help with applications like this. At Central, for example, we offer Nurses on callwhich helps policyholders with claims.
In this article, we’ll explore what nursing on-call is, what benefits it offers, and how to navigate the program as an employer and employee.
What is the nursing call?
The nurse emergency is a modern solution to the first notification of a work injury. It provides telephone nurse triage and a system through which a claim can be filed within minutes of an accident. As a result, injured workers can be immediately referred to the appropriate medical facility and receive proper treatment without waiting for paperwork or authorizations to be submitted.
What are the benefits of using the nurse on call?
In addition to a faster processing time, the Nurses Emergency Center offers Centralen’s policyholders access to medical advice and care from registered nurses (RNs) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This has reduced claims costs, as many injured individuals choose to receive treatment in urgent care instead of the emergency department.
Having an RN on call to provide customized care recommendations allows for a more appropriate and personalized treatment plan for injured employees. This leads to a faster recovery time and fewer weeks without work.
How do I use the Nurse Hotline program?
When an occupational injury occurs, the injured worker and their supervisor call the designated emergency nurse to report the injury. They are immediately connected to an RN who will direct the injured worker to the appropriate medical facility should further medical treatment be needed.
The RN will also provide the medical facility with the injured worker’s paperwork in anticipation of the patient’s arrival.
Remember: This service is designed to help with injuries that are not life-threatening, limb-threatening or sight-threatening. If the employee has a serious injury that requires emergency medical attention, call 911 or your local EMS number.
Once the initial injury is addressed, the RNs assist the injured employees in determining a recommended course of action for appropriate ongoing care and ensuring the earliest possible return-to-work intervention. This professional nursing guide provides crucial guidance for injured employees on everything from immediate care to ongoing rehabilitation plans.
Remember: The nurse’s emergency room is staffed by experienced, registered nurses. The nurses have additional training to answer calls specifically related to workplace injuries.
Who should talk to the nurse?
If possible, the nurse must speak directly with the employee who sustained the injury. As part of the medical triage process, the nurse will ask personal, medically directed questions, including past medical history, any current medical problems and medications, allergies, and the patient’s perception of their symptoms.
If the injured employee does not want to call the Nurses’ Emergency, the employer must call on his behalf. After all, it is the method that the employer uses to report work-related injuries to the Workers’ Compensation Administrator.
Remember: A claim can still be reported to an initial claim customer service representative if the emergency nurse is not engaged. The supervisor should provide all available information during the report.
More quick facts about the emergency nurse
- Waiting times: The call center strives to answer calls in 30 seconds or less. Waiting time is a very rare occurrence.
- Language: English and Spanish are the primary languages spoken by the team of RNs. However, employees who speak other languages can still get help by using the language line, which is available 24/7 through the platform.
- Call time: The average call time is about 18 minutes. Although these nurses are trained to be quick and efficient, their priority is to provide medical assistance to the individual they are caring for, and they will take the time necessary to do so effectively.
- Age of the employee: If the injured worker is a minor, the nurse will ask if a parent or guardian is available to participate in the conversation. The nurse will continue the triage process if the parent or guardian is not available
- Callback Options: Employees are encouraged to call the nurse if they have additional questions or symptoms. Many times a patient will have a question after following the nurse’s recommendation and/or before the first visit with an approved panel physician. During the triage process, the nurse will request permission from the employee to call back if necessary and collect appropriate contact information. For all urgent, emergency and self-care calls where a change in condition is expected, the nurse will also attempt to complete a callback.
- Report of damage: The nurse will receive the information needed to file a claim during the triage call. After the call is complete, this crash report will be sent to the dedicated deployment log.
Notification of occupational injury as centrally insured
Contacting the emergency nurse is the preferred method for an employer and an injured worker to report a workplace injury. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and can save valuable time and money when used after a workplace accident.
Contact your independent agent today to see if your workers’ compensation policy includes one Nurses on call service.
The above information is of a general nature and your policy and the policies provided may differ from the examples provided. Please read your entire policy to determine your actual coverage.
Note! This article was originally published in August 2020. It has since been updated for accuracy.
Source link
