Occupational Sometimes walk-ins will come in for an ibuprofen, band aid, antacid etc. to deliver. You will never regret taking a position in Occupational Health. employees at the workplace, but also their families and support they have at New York, NY 10036, © 2020 Springer Publishing Company | Privacy Policy, Michele Wojciechowski is an award-winning writer and author of the humor book. There is some paperwork with this job, but not much. The biggest difference in an Occupational Health setting is that the cost of the care and intervention is paid for by the employer, unlike the traditional health setting where the care provided by doctors, and nurses and all other services provided are paid for by health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. Employee Health Program to collaborate with the new developed program. We are always consulting with Safety Consultants.” - Deborah Johnston, RN, A2: “We provide strictly first aid, triage as we assess a situation and determine if we can deal with the injury or symptom, or if the employee needs to be seen by ER, doctor, x-ray, etc. What Is an Occupational Health Nurse? Most people assume the daily shift requires nurses to provide care; for patients under the orders of a medical doctor; nurses provide first aid care, conduct general screens such as test vitals, blood pressure, height, and weight; give routine shots; and gather all pertinent information in preparation for the doctor’s screening. Many employees will come to you asking for medical advice. screening, case management within workers’ compensation claims, and many more Whatever training you need to do for BAT or specific specimen collection, you will be trained onsite.” – Deborah Johnston, RN, Amerisafe Group Occupational Health Division. What kind of training/education do they need? “You must be a Registered Nurse [in most cases]. back within our own hospital, we had an opportunity to enhance the existing Their focus is on preventing work-related injury or illness and promoting healthy conditions in the workplace. Two interviews were conducted. We have much autonomy; we are responsible for all activities in our little clinic. Occupational health is a specialist branch of medicine that focuses on the physical and mental wellbeing of employees in the workplace. improve the processes. degrees. Get more news like this - plus jobs - each week. Depending as to the urgency of the injury, we have often time to give the employee options as to how he would like to proceed.” – Jeanette Young, RN, A1: “ Depending on the site and shift, I begin anywhere from 5-7 AM, (unless on night shift), do all my checks, bag check, vaccine fridge check, AED check, emails. autonomously. Trying to provide best care and give patients what they need with the restrictions of insurance companies is not easy. The aim of occupational health is to prevent work-related illness and injury by: encouraging safe working practices; Let us show you how our safety and medical leadership skills can help your company succeed in occupational health and safety. We operate under strict guidelines. We clean and dress wounds, use ice and heat for sprains and strains, steri-strip for cuts or minor lacerations, use burn spray or gel covers for burns, give tetanus shots if needed, flush eyes out for foreign objects, use ace wrap for support, and triage to see if employee needs to be seen by an MD. Occupational Health Nurses are typically registered nurses, Depending on the role that is chosen (Employee Health within an organization We have broken teeth, foreign object in the eye injuries from welder flash to dust or metal in the eye. You are the employee’s nurse. Read this article to learn more about occupational health nurses. When I hire nurses to become occupational The OH Nurse assesses employees for minor health concerns like a cold, implements preventative programs such as weight control, nutritional teaching, cardio education, smoking cessation programs, prenatal support and assists safety with work environmental challenges, drug testing etc. We recognize that our role extends beyond just the We also do random and reasonable suspicion testing. The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses describes an occupational health nurse as someone who provides for and delivers health and safety programs and services to workers, worker populations and community groups. It is not uncommon to see a person with a heart attack or blood pressure that is too high, diabetic problems, or seizures, just to name a few. To provide insight about the specific Occupational Health Nurses interviewed, both nurses currently work on two separate jobs sites for Amerisafe Group, both in an industrial setting. I then order supplies if need-be, clean up the nurse trailer, answer emails, and prepare to begin again the next day. Author: Reviewed by Amerisafe Safety Consultants. Getting everything accomplished in a day. Depending on the role that is chosen (Employee Health within an organization or working in industry) will depend on the tasks that will be deemed necessary to deliver. Health is a specialty within nursing that cares for our own employees, The need of They want to maintain a healthy workforce, which in turn keeps their insurance rates down. 4000 Hempfield Blvd Ste 992 Greensburg, PA 15601, 3990 Enterprise Court Aurora, IL 60504, 420 Lancaster Ave Malvern, PA 19355. staffing ratios. home. At Amerisafe Group, not only are we the safety experts, our staff of Occupational Health Nurses is your solution for all of your staffing & medical service needs. Download The role of the occupational health nurse in the workplace What is occupational health? health is a specialty field with a generalist approach. Drug and fit testing can come in at any time, too. Experience in home health is a benefit as you are independent a lot. Need an Occupational Health Nurse on your job site? We perform pre-employment post offer assessments; identify and assess risks from hazards in the workplace; medical surveillance that may affect our employees; advise on occupational health, safety, and ergonomics; first aid; and prevention of occupational disease and accidents. Occupational health nurses, I look for strong clinical backgrounds; personalities that will Many cuts, scrapes, bruises, welder burns, and the occasional small limb finger amputation. We are onsite to hand first aid injuries and triage if needed to be seen by an Occupational MD. Any work related injury is discussed with Safety and with the employee; options are addressed and a mutual decision is made based on the needs of the employee.” – Jeanette Young, RN, A: “ That is often site-specific; some places work with chemicals, gasses, etc, so often chemical burns, inhalation problems, etc. Proving our worth But what does an Occupational Health Nurse do and why are they needed? An Occupational Health Nurse Practitioner, or OHNP, specializes in health and safety in corporate, industrial, governmental, and academic settings. We work in tandem We have busy and slow days, but after we built trust with the company and employee, we are their go-to person; from a toothache to girlfriend problems, they know they can trust you and it is nice to know they can trust you, and that you have their respect. “ An Occupational RN, by definition, takes care of employees at a work site and in many cases, this service extends to the family of the employee. What could an OHN do on a regular day? concept quickly with our facility being the first customer of our newly Under no circumstance is care ever denied. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor An Occupational Health Nurse provides and delivers health and safety programs and services to workers and community groups. In short, the company is invested to keep their employees as healthy as possible. There is no “set” educational requirement, but practice expectations According to the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) , the first occupational nurses were employed more than a century ago. What is an Occupational Health Nurse? We have good intentions Here are the duties and responsibilities that an Occupational Health Nurse is likely to perform in their role. Occupational and environmental health nurse… or working in industry) will depend on the tasks that will be deemed necessary with education backgrounds varying from diploma nurses to doctoral of setting our schedules that can change quickly depending on what the By 7 AM if on day shift, the first employee for follow up will see me and after, we usually have new hire drug screening or random drug tests to conduct. Each have 40 plus years of experience in the nursing industry. If nurses want to become OHNs, what would you say to professionals. Caring for our What are some of the greatest challenges of being an OHN? ” – Jeanette Young, RN, A2: “There is no set schedule in Occupational Health as there is in the hospital or nursing home.