Interview this week, what ??'s should I ask...

Rbeck911, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2015

A couple of things you need to know:

Occ Health is highly involved in case management. In an acute setting, you treat and forget, but this is not the case in occ health. You are with the associate from the time they are injured until their MMI or PPI. It can be quite challenging doing this with multiple claims at once. The stress can be overwhelming at first, but once you develop a knack it gets easier. Fair enough, I am still developing that knack. ha.

Occ health can be extremely rewarding. Typically it is a 9-5, M-F, home on the weekends with the fam. It's nice. The pay is traditionally higher than other fields.

A typical day for me.... I come in to work, retrieve dictations off the fax machine and read through them looking for any changes in patient conditions or any signs of a non work related process so that we can get it out of the work comp system. I treat new injuries with corrective treatment. I maintain the OSHA log and check it for accuracy. I perform respirator fit testing and spirometry for the welders and painters. Hearing tests for all employees exposed to >85 db over 8 hours. There is a lot going on... A LOT. It requires multi tasking to the max. You are very autonomous and treat patients without a MD present.

I did the research on Occ health so I knew what I was getting into. There are no questions I wish I would have asked. But, it has been very rewarding and challenging. I have been frustrated, mad, sad, sympathetic, empathetic, but never bored.

Hello all,
I have been searching around the site for information, and am hoping to get some more insight from those in the field. My experience is 10years in acute/critical care. I am looking for a new direction in my career. What questions did you ask in your interviews, and what questions do you WISH you would have asked??
What is a typical day like for you?
Any hot tips would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you in advance!!

42pines · Mar 7, 2015

Just ask what comes to mind. What are your duties, who works with you, whatever.

RBeck911 comments that CM is a big part of Occ Health Nursing.

I've worked for GE; GM; a paper company; Shire Pharmaceuticals, and several others. Often Case Management is a big part part of Occ Health, but currently at GE I spend almost no time on CM but do on Wellness projects.

Try to find out what they do, and what part you will play. Try to size the others that you work with--they will define, in large part, whether you like your job or not.