Employee health nurse duties

[froglegs36]

Can anyone tell me if as an employee health nurse at a Hospital and conducting a work station analysis ( not nursing dept -OTHER, where there are employees complaining of injuries , would I need to write up a report on my findings , any documentation other then verbal communication to those investigating the complaints as well, such as occupational therapist.

I ask because I am in fear for my job, I conducted a work station analysis and didn;t write up a report and am being ASKED for it and I do not have it, all communications were verbal.

Please tell me there are some other employee health nurse in this message board who may have encountered similar and what they have done .

I am desperate for answers ,even if I am wrong ,then I will try and plead forgiveness,but please what is the standard for this? ANY ONE ?

[froglegs36]

I am new around here and don't know if this question got lost, was just hoping for some kind of response good or bad, can anyone assist here?

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

This is definitely outside the general scope of nursing practice - so, just out of curiousity, have you been trained/certified on ergonomics? If not, how can you do an ergonomic assessment?

In my organization, this type of an assessment is not part of the occ health nurse's job. It is performed under the auspices of PT &/or safety committee.

[froglegs36]

I am an occupational health nurse. I have training in ergonomics. But this was the FIRST of this situation and wow i think I majorly screwed up.

I was hoping to find some others who ARE an employee health nurse as title and have have do do similar and IF , IF they wrote notes ,report or other or was just a verbal communication....

Problem only surfaced when employee wanted report of same and there is NONE ..

What now , ANY advice or standard that I should have known to follow ,this is just an odd situation , please all in put welcome!

[3rdcareerRN]

The AAOHN Standards of Practice do not specify written documentation, just the assess/plan/etc. elements:

http://www.abohn.org/AAOHN%20Standards%20of%20Occupationational%20Health%20Nursing%202.doc

In my own practice as an OHN, however, every client interaction -- and especially any assessment and intervention, even if it just teaching -- gets documented in writing. A written record improves future care, simplifies multi-provider care, and aids in recall for handling disputes, among other benefits.

You might also look at your state's nurse practice act for whether written documentation is required.

[froglegs36]

Thank you much for that information. What I gather from this is that an assessment and plan would need to be documented. The standard itself outlines this, it would be impossible to follow through without any documentation.

Should a health employee have a right to SEE any documentation or assessment of what occurred when evaluating a work station analysis ?

[MedSurgeMess]

Should a health employee have a right to SEE any documentation or assessment of what occurred when evaluating a work station analysis ?

Yes, any patient has the right to look at their medical record, regardless of where the record resides, or who kept the notes, as long as the assessment and any information given was in a professional capacity.