mickylynn969

You should be getting it any time. It took me about 1 month. If you have applied for your VA license, they will give you a 30 day grace period knowing you have put in your transfer request.

See...total newby!! :rotfl:

The biggest differences between the CCM and the /CM from ABOHN is this...the ABOHN certification is ONLY for occupational health/WC...CCM covers EVERYTHING. If you are only going to be doing WC CM, I'd go for the extra certification. If you are looking to work for a generalized CM company (GENEX, Corvel, Coventry, etc.), they typically want the CCM and not the /CM. I hope this helps.

I HIGHLY recommend a course! I took one about 12-13 years ago and never regretted it!

I guess my perception of the future of OHN is different than most. What I foresee is the OHN becoming a huge asset to any company. As the companies look for ways to help reduce insurance costs, etc., the OHN will/can come into play by being an educator and wellness advocate. Many OHN's lack the ability or tools to show their worth/value. You have to be able to not only do a good job, but actually prove your worth. Why is the OHN a good choice over a less expensive MA or even an EMT? See where I'm going with this? OHN's need to band together and develop a strong voice. We have the power to affect legislation. We typically have backgrounds in multiple areas such as case management, business, leadership, safety, etc. We can serve a multipurpose role in any company! This is one of the times you absolutely have to TOOT YOUR OWN HORN!!

I would definitely find out a little bit more about the job. Being temporary and no experience, I would imagine it is going to be helping with annual physical exams or something like that. As deb1ohn mentions, this might not be the best job for a new graduate. If you will be working with a strong nursing staff, it would be a great opportunity. If you are going to be alone, you could be putting yourself at risk. As an OHN, you will be presented with MANY and VARIED conditions. You need to have a good, solid nursing base. There will be times when you will have to pull from your background/knowledge to make your decisions. As a new nurse, you may not have these skills. If an OHN is bored at work, it's because they did not take initiative to make it a better place. This is a great opportunity to talk about health, wellness and lifestyle changes. You can educate about disease and illness, medication, and prevention. I LOVE occupational health nursing. I would recommend that you search out some members from your local occupational health nursing organization. They would be a GREAT asset for you to talk with!

Just FYI, occupational health nursing is NOT a new field! It's been around since 1888!

Well, a couple of certifications that would be helpful would be Occupational Hearing Conservation (Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation), a NIOSH Spirometry course, a course in urine drug screen collections and breath alcohol testing that follow the DOT guidelines. As the RN, you may or may not need them depending on the type of facility you work in. If it's a small clinic, you may have to do some of everything. If it's big with lots of other workers (MA's, x-ray techs, etc.) there may not be a need for you to do these. Personally, it can only help you. Knowing the basics will you help you in the long run. These classes are not cheap or short! LOL. You cannot get your COHN/COHN-S until you've worked full time for about 2 1/2 years in OHN. Same with the case management portion. Good luck!!

MassED...my info wasn't there when I first posted. I just joined today! You didn't overlook anything! It took me awhile of reading posts that OP was ordering physician not out patient!

Yep, that's pretty much what I've been doing. My boss has since left. To me, it is not worth risking my license!

One of our RN's works at an outpatient clinic and they do not use one either. I just wanted to get a general consensus, pros/cons, etc. from all of the folks who give vaccines! :) Without a consent, there is not "proof" that the patient was truly informed about the vaccine-in my opinion.

Hi all, I've been an RN since 1996. EVERY place I have EVER worked has required a signed consent form for vaccinations (childhood or adult.) I just recently moved to a new state and started working for the City. They DON'T use a consent form. Our boss made one up from the VIS and added a signature line, and vaccine info, the other nurses-RN and LPN refuse to use them. From what I can tell, it is not required, but why would you not do this? Thoughts?!