How many OHN's are on these board?

Specialties Occupational

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Hello,

I'm brand new to Occupational Health Nursing. I've been browsing for On-line resources and other OHN's to network with. It doesn't seem like there are very many OHN's that visit these boards. If you're out there, let me know.

I just went to Occ Health part time, from being in the ER full-time...so now I do both.

I'm the After Hours Occ Health nurse, and I'm based in the same ER I work as a regular staff nurse in.

We have contracts with 8,000 companies, as well as our own hospital network.

So far I don't really like it...the paperwork is driving me up the wall. All the companies want things a different way, and with 8,000 of them...I think I may go insane.

Did anyone else go through that at first?

You are in a much different position than I am since I work for one company, but I know what you mean. Occ health is a very diffferent type of "nursing", it took me awhile to get used to it, but I love it now. It is a lot of paperwork, maybe your facility could look into some type of computer program to help you. Good Luck

Hi all, I surfed your category out of curiosity. There is an opening for OHN in a large steel company in my area. I,m always looking even though I enjoy my current position. What do OHN's do anyway? Please don't use initials or abreviations, I have no clue. What is the pay, hours, do you have to be on call or work weekends, does it require travel re: business trips. Would I be bite'n off more than I can chew without prior experiance. Add states no experiance necessary.

Occ Health Nursing involves so many things... If I tried to describe everything that Occ Health Nurses do, then I would leave something out... The fact is that it's different depending on what setting you work in... Just like the difference between a med-surg floor vs ER vs labor and delivery... They all work as "hospital nurses" but they do drastically different work... You may do safety, wellness programs, ergonomics, some case management...

An OHN may work in one facility, or be responsible for many. I work for one company, but I am responsible for over 1500 employees at 16 different sites, in 7 different states... Yes, I do travel... But, it's not that bad. My job involves alot of time working with local providers who actually do the "nursing work" for our employees... I think my pay is very comparable to hospitals in my home state, but the big benefit is that I don't work weekends or holidays or nights or... I can take a day off without begging...

Check out http://www.aaohn.com for more details of what OHNursing is about...

Good Luck,

George

That should be http://www.aaohn.org

George

I have been in OH for over 20 years and have loved every minute of it.

Been around a bit.... Oil refinery, steel works, offshore (Oil & Gas) sugar factory, prisons, construction, retail..... and now am working for all sorts, inc. councils, the travel industry and universities.

Nice to know that other persons in OH go onto such sites as this excellent one.

Lets keep the OH thread going!!!!!

Mike the Medic (My radio call sign in construction!)

Hi all I just started my career as an occupational health nurse in May. Before that I was at a nursing outpost. I work in an electroplating plant with 3 other nurses and about 800-900 employees.

Hello,

I'm brand new to Occupational Health Nursing. I've been browsing for On-line resources and other OHN's to network with. It doesn't seem like there are very many OHN's that visit these boards. If you're out there, let me know.

Hello WayneRN, I have been a COHN since 2001. I feel fortunate I came across this discussion board for OHNs. I too do not find many OHNs in the medical community. I am employed by an acute care hospital with an occupational healh department. The hospital has contracts with local businesses to supply an certified OHN - that's me. I work four hours Mon-Fri at a petroleum/chemical processing facility with 75 employees, and am a school nurse (appox 3,000 students) 3 hours each day. When school is out I work in the OH department. I am the only RN. All other staff, except the doc are medical office assistants, even the department cordinator is not a nurse. Quite a challenge

hi travelinrn your not by any chance from the UK are you? Just a lot of your terminology sounds british

My ancesters on both sides are English, Irish and Scottish, but I have never visited or lived in any ofthose countries, just lived for a lot of years.

:balloons:

Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.

I'm an OH nurse for a large international non-governmental organization which has it's HQ here in Paris. It's my first OH post and having been attracted by the salary (my post is a bi-lingual French/English due to dealing with an international population, so they pay a bonus for my English), I 've found I really enjoy it. It's different from anything I did in my home country (the UK) where I was a clinical nurse specialist in viral hepatitis, and before that in various inpatient specialities (principally infectious diseases and gastroenterology).

I was pleasantly surprised at how varied the job is.

The stringent employment laws in France mean we do a lot for people on being hired and see them every 2 years to re-evaluate their aptitude. Alot of of our people go off to tropical countries on mission, so we fulfil their vaccination/travel medicine needs too. We deal with all the work accidents, work-related illnesses, non-actives etc. We're responsible for the ergonomics - a field totally new to me. People who work here also have to right to come to us with their outside prescriptions, so there is a constant stream of blood tests, injections, ECG's, dressings etc. The organisation hires out our services to other organisations, several banks etc. so I'd say we serve a good 4000 people overall. We offer well woman/well man screening and always have some health promotion campaign on the go like breast cancer awareness or stopping smoking. We have a little emergency room and people do tend to come down to us first before they contact medical help outside, so we do see a range of casualties from minor injuries to (thankfully not too frequent) real emergencies.

I work with one other nurse. Between us we cover the service Monday-Friday from 9 - 6. In the mornings we're on our own and every afternoon one of two OH doctors comes to do medical consultations. We have no secretarial help, so things like records and appointments are also our responsibility.

I think OH is very varied and calls on your wits more than many people realise. You're often on your own making decisions without a doctor, and the decision rests on your head whether to send somebody away or refer them on to an outside doctor, call on the emergency services etc.

you are all very lucky to have your positions.

I am an OR nurse with a permanent back injury ... only mild (discectomy), I can still walk

I have been looking for a new field of practice with minimal physical exertion ... and have chosen OH&S ... hopefully this is a good idea. I have a lot of personal insight hehe.

my problem is finding a position !! I am halfway through an external uni certificate in Occ health ... but am not sure where to go now??? any suggestions appreciated??

cheers Squeek

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