Occupational Health Nursing

We are all familiar with OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Since its creation in 1970, this government agency has been charged with the mission of "assuring safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance." This is a major task that affects millions of workers and employers in the United States. What role do nurses play in the efforts ensuring that these goals are met?

Occupational Health Nurses work closely with employers to make sure that health and safety standards are met. They are instrumental in maintaining optimal employee health as they focus on preventative health care. They are responsible for observing and assessing workers' health status in relation to job tasks and work hazards.

Skills / Knowledge

The Occupational Health Nurse position requires a broad scope of knowledge and skills in many areas. The OHN must work with employees and employers on compliance with the many regulations and laws affecting the workplace. It is imperative that the OHN have extensive knowledge of the following laws and regulations: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Workers' Compensation Act, and the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Duties / Responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities of the occupational health nurse are diverse, covering many of the wide-ranging issues related to occupational health and safety. Roles include:

• clinicians
• educators
• case managers
• policymakers
• program evaluators
• corporate directors
• consultants

Typical Occupational Health Nurse activities and duties include

• Observation and assessment of both the worker and the work environment
• Interpretation and evaluation of the worker's medical and occupational history, subjective complaints, and physical examination, along with any laboratory values or other diagnostic screening tests, industrial hygiene and personal exposure monitoring values.
• Interpretation of medical diagnosis to workers and their employers
• Appraisal of the work environment for potential exposures
• Identification of abnormalities
• Description of the worker's response to the exposures
• Management of occupational and non-occupational illness and injury
• Documentation of the injury or illness
• Emergency care for job-related injuries and illnesses
• Employee treatment, follow-up case management, and referrals
• Emergency preparedness/disaster planning
• Provider of health and safety programs to workers and community groups
• Development of health education and disease management and prevention programs that encourage workers to take responsibility of their own health

Work Environment

The work environment for Occupational Health Nurses is as diverse as their roles, ranging from classroom (educator) to boardroom (corporate director) to clinic (clinician, case manager) to business setting (consultant). Although the work schedule is usually M-F, it may vary depending on the work environment, position, and responsibilities.

Education

Occupational Health Nurses are Registered Nurses (RN), licensed to practice in the states in which they are employed. Typically, nurses entering the field have a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) and have experience in community health, ambulatory care, critical care, or emergency nursing.

Certification

Certification in Occupational and Environmental Nursing is highly recommended. The American Board for Occupational Health Nurses (ABOHN) provides a program for the certification of qualified occupational health nurses. Criteria for certification requires 4,000 hours of work experience in the field within 5 years, 50 contact hours of continuing education in the specialty, and successful completion of a national examination.

Salary

According to salary.com, the average Staff RN Occupational Health Nurse salary in the United States is $87,514 as of May 28, 2020, but the range typically falls between $78,832 and $97,278. This varies with location, experience, and education.

Resources

• American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN)
• American Board for Occupational Health Nurses, Inc.  (ABOHN)
• OSHA Graduate Nurse Internship - administered by the Office of Occupational Health Nursing. This eight-week program is designed for registered nurses pursuing a graduate degree in either occupational health nursing or public health nursing with an occupational health focus.
• Office of Occupational Medicine and Nursing - provides occupational medicine and nursing expertise to OSHA
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• National Institutes of Health
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)