Working Nurse

IT WAS THE CENTER FOR NURSING ADVOCACY (www.NursingAdvocacy.org) and Sandy Summers who first made me sit up and notice the attention (or lack of it) paid by the general media to the field of nursing.

Now, when I see nurses recognized I feel compelled to point it out to others. So here’s to you—Occupational Health Nurses across the country—and thank you from employees everywhere for safeguarding workers’ health.

This tribute was brought on by a cover story I read in the Science and Health section of the New York Times on Feb. 5, 2008, about a neurological problem occurring at pork processing plants. It was the Occupational Health Nurses there who recognized the trend, referred the patients back to their own physicians and were able to get the state epidemiologists involved.

In my narrow-minded way I had thought of Occupational Health Nurses as those who enjoyed working regular hours while being capable of handing out Band-Aids and calling 9-1-1 for the real emergencies. They most doubtedly deserve my apology because theirs is a body of specialized knowledge that goes far beyond that. OSHA has an alliance with the American Association of Occupational Health Nursing and they state that Occupational Health Nurses must “independently observe and assess the workers’ health status with respect to job tasks and hazards; recognize and prevent health effects from hazardous exposure and treat workers’ injuries.”

In addition, at most sites they are also responsible for accident reporting/investigating and completing workers’ compensation claim forms for injuries received on the job. They need to be able to recognize and treat chemical exposures and to advise workers on how to avoid or reduce repetitive strains, something that can eventually lead to disability and economic loss to both employee and employer. They have their own association, The American Board of Occupational Health Nurses, whose website is www.ABOHN.org.

Last week I attended an intensive three-day session in Travel Medication, another avenue for Occupational Health Nursing. Many companies now have international units, so nurses with travel medication skills can help employees prepare for trips abroad by administering the necessary immunizations and ordering anti-malarials, antibiotics for travelers diarrhea, and medication to mitigate altitude sickness. All this can be accomplished under standing orders from their medical director. In addition, who better than nurses to give travel advice/education about local disease risks and prevention, safety, and even how to arrange for medical evacuation if necessary.

If this sounds interesting to you, the CDC has a comprehensive website for travelers to whet your appetite even more—www.cdc.gov. Click on travelers’ health.

Christine Contillo RN, BSN, has worked as a nurse since 1979 and has written extensively for various nursing publications as well as the New York Times.

2 COMMENTS

• Aileen Butler, RN

  A "plant nurse" has the same challenge that a school nurse does. While 364 days of the year nothing major will happen, that one day a person will have a severe emergency and all eyes are on the nurse. If he/she is the only one there, big decisions regarding care must be made quickly and independently. Also, this kind of nursing requires a broad generalist background since an employee may present with ANYTHING and the nurse needs to sleuth out the best course of action.

  Jul 22, 2008

• Renata Remedios, RN, BSN

  I think there is a sense that other nurses have it easier--until we walk a mile in their shoes (or clogs). A position can be challenging or it can be a cakewalk. If there's a chemical spill at a plant and one lone nurse has to come to the rescue, that is a superhuman effort.

  Jul 22, 2008