Occupational Health Nurse

Duties and responsibilities vary from one position to another but, in general, occupational health nurses:

• identify and treat occupational and non-occupational injuries and illnesses
• conduct testing or screening programs (for example, audiometric testing, pulmonary function testing, ergonomic assessments, alcohol and drug testing, blood pressure screening)
• conduct fitness to work and assess potential employees' fitness to perform particular jobs
• provide emergency care in the workplace and arrange for further care if necessary
• provide health counselling and initiate referral services to other health care professionals (for example, physicians, psychologists, physiotherapists)
• work with others in the organization to assess, plan, implement and evaluate employee wellness programs (for example, immunization programs, safety training, fitness programs)
• promote compliance with legislation and regulations related to health and safety and Workers' Compensation
• facilitate disability case management by co-ordinating health care and early intervention to promote the safe and timely return to work of ill or injured employees 
• assess work environments to identify health and safety hazards and recommend control measures, or work with an occupational health and safety team to keep work environments as safe as possible
• collect and assess data (for example, incidents of illness, injury) to identify trends and evaluate the effectiveness of safety or wellness programs
• prepare incident reports and maintain records
• establish and maintain confidential employee health records
• design and lead health safety and wellness training programs
• prepare and manage a budget
• operate medical and surveillance equipment
• utilize research findings to support proposals to management and create health and safety policies.

Occupational health nurses may work in hospital, government, educational or industrial environments. In some organizations, they are the only health and safety professionals on staff. They usually work standard weekday office hours although they may be required to work evening or weekend shifts in industrial environments. Some travel may be required in organizations that have multiple locations.

Nurses often are exposed to contagious diseases and routinely handle items that weigh up to 20 kilograms.

Occupational health nurses need the following characteristics:

• problem solving and critical thinking skills
• excellent verbal and written communication skills
• organizational skills
• good judgment and the ability to make decisions quickly, especially in stressful situations
• patience, understanding and a caring attitude
• flexibility and enthusiasm
• the ability to work independently and to lead and work co-operatively with others
• the interpersonal and negotiation skills required to settle disputes.

They should enjoy working with and consulting others, systematically compiling information for records, operating medical equipment, and caring for ill and injured employees.

Above-average occupational growth is expected in Alberta for 2016 to 2020. Job openings are a result of employment turnover and newly created positions.

Occupational health nurses are employed by:

• large corporations
• public sector organizations
• industry associations
• occupational health consulting firms.

Some self-employed nurses provide services for several organizations on a contract basis.

Experienced occupational health nurses may advance to supervisory or management positions responsible for employee wellness programs.

Occupational health nurses are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 3012: Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses.  In Alberta, 96% of people employed in this classification work in the Health Care and Social Assistance (PDF) industry.

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

Over 45,000 Albertans are employed in the Registered nurses occupational group. This group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.6% from 2016 to 2020. As a result, 1,620 new positions are forecast to be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. Note: As occupational health nurses form only a part of this larger occupational group, only some of these newly created positions will be for occupational health nurses.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) website: www.nurses.ab.ca

Alberta Occupational Health Nurses Association (AOHNA) website: www.aohna.ab.ca

AOHNA Occupational Health Nurse video: www.youtube.com

Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) website: www.nursesunions.ca

Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) website: www.cna-nurses.ca

Canadian Occupational Health Nurses Association (COHNA) website: www.cohna-aciist.ca

United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) website: www.una.ab.ca

For more information on career planning, education and jobs, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline toll-free at 1-800-661-3753 or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton, or visit an Alberta Works Centre near you.