Occupational Health Nurses: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview Registered nurses who take care of employees and workers in a workplace is called occupational health nurses. Their work environment is not in a hospital but in buildings or mining and manufacturing facilities. In 1900s, nurses were employed by factories to study and prevent the spread of diseases in the workplace. Today, the occupational health nurse is considered to be an important part in a company, since the job entails carefullly dealing with the safety of the workers.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
Occupational health nurse are prepared for this career by taking Science and Mathematics courses like Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Courses in Speech and English will help to train an applicant to communicate with the patients. It is required that an occupational health nurse be a registered nurse. Bachelor’s degree, Associate’s degree and diploma are training programs that you can select from to be a registered nurse. Choosing a training program depends on the applicant’s career goal. To practice as a registered nurse, one should obtain a license as a regestered nurse. Certification in the occupational setting or training, is not required but will reflect the capabilities of the applicant in this field.
Skills and Abilities
It is important for an occupational health nurse to know how to think critically and work independently. They need to have good decision-making skill which includes thinking outside the box when handling a certain health situation. They need to stay calm and focused in emergency cases that can be brought about by accidents and injuries in the workplace. It is essential that they also know how to communicate and interact with other people especially their patients. Occupational health nurse should have broad knowledge in safety measures and relevant medical routines and treatment.
Duties
The main responsibility of occupational health nurse is to provide health care services to the employees of the company.
They need to know how to handle emergency cases like work-related accidents. They also monitor changes in blood pressure, back strain and diabetes of the workers as necessary. It is their duty to study and know the treatment for injuries that may occur in the workplace. They should also come up with preventive measures that can be enforced by the company to avoid injuries or accidents. Checking safety and health guidelines of the company is part of their duty. They need to know how to handle radiation, toxic chemicals and other hazards.
Earnings and Job Outlook
Factors which affect the salary of occupational health nurse includes education, geographic location, working experience and nursing specialty. Average salary of registered nurse in 2005 is $54,670. They can earn less than $38,660 up to $79,460 or more annually. Companies are now aware of the importance of occupational health nurse in their business. This awareness paved the way to better opportunities for those who want to work in this field in the future.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
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