1. Prepared by Dr. Hoda Abd-El Azim
Occupational Health
Prepared by
Dr. Hoda Abd-El Azim

2. Objectives:
Define the occupational health nursing.
List the scope of occupational health nursing.
Describe work health interactions.
Identify the team of occupational health and safety programs.
Discus the roll of community health nursing occupational health .
Identify the disaster planning and management.

3. Introduction
No work is completely risk free and all health care professionals should have some basic knowledge about workforce populations, work and related hazards, and methods to control hazards and improve health.

4. Definition and scope of occupational health nursing
The specialty practice that focuses on the promotion, prevention and restoration of health within the safe and healthy environment.

5. It involves the prevention of adverse health effects occupational and environmental hazards.
It provides for and delivers occupational and environmental health and safety services to workers, worker populations, and community groups.

6. Occupational health nurse work setting
Traditional manufacturing.
Services (banking, restaurants).
Industries.
Health care facilities.
Construction sites.
government settings.

7. Scope of practice Worker/ workplace assessment and surveillance
Primary care
Counseling
Health promotion/protection
Administration and management
Research
Community orientation

8. The professional organization for occupational health nurses is the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN).

9. The AAOHN functions Promotes the health and safety of workers.
Defines the scope of practice and sets the standards of occupational health nursing practice.
Promotes and provides continuing education in the specialty.
Advances the profession through supporting research.

10. Work Health Interactions
Host (worker & family
Agent Environment
(workplace hazards) (external factors)

11. Host factors are associated with increased risk to the work place hazards.
Each worker represents a host within the worker population group.
Age & Gender
Health status
Work practice
Ethnicity
Lifestyle factors

12. Older workers have increase risk due to:
The host factors of age, gender and work experience combine by increase risk for injury due to:
Lack of knowledge
Lack of familiarity with the new job.
Older workers have increase risk due to:
Diminished sensory abilities.
The effect of chronic illnesses.
Delayed reaction times.

13. Women in child bearing years very susceptible to workplace exposure because:
The hormonal changes during these years.
Transplacental exposures.

14. Agent 1. Biological Agents
Are living organisms are capable of causing human diseases by infectious process.
bacteria, viruses, fungi
Common in workplace (health care facilities and clinical laboratories).

15. 2. Chemical agents Medications Solutions Gases Vapors, aerosols
Various forms of chemicals
Medications
Solutions
Gases
Vapors, aerosols

16. 3. Environmental and mechanical Agents
are those that can potentially cause accidents, injury, strain or discomfort e.g.
Unsafe/ inadequate equipment
Lifting devices and lifting heavy loads.
Slippery floors
Repetitive motions.

17. 4. Physical agent within the work environment
include the following:
Temperature extremes.
Vibration (affects internal organs, supportive ligaments and the shoulder girdle structure).
Noise
Radiation
Lighting
Electricity

18. Personal protective equipment include:
Hearing protection
Eye guards
Protective clothing
Devices for monitoring exposure to agents such as radiation

19. 5.Psychosocial agents
Interpersonal relationships among employees and coworkers and managers are often sources of conflict and stress.

20. Environment Environmental factors
Physical environment (heat, odor, ventilation) influence the occurrence of host agent interactions.
New environmental problems continue to arise such as:
An increase in industrial wastes and toxins.
Indoor and outdoor environmental pollution.
Addictive behaviors (negative social environment)

21. Team of occupational health and safety programs.
The following are core members of this team:
Occupational health nurse
Occupational physician
Industrial hygienist
Safety professional

22. Role of the nurse in the team
The nurse collaborate with a community physician or occupational medicine physician who provide consultation and accepts referrals where medical intervention is needed.
The collaboration may occur primarily through telephone contact or the physician may be under contract with the company to spend a certain amount of time on site each week.

23. Additional team member
As the companies become larger
Additional nurses
Safety professionals
Industrial hygienists
Physicians part time or on a consultant basis.
Employee assistance counselors.
Physical therapists
Health educators
Toxicologists

24. Scope of services provided through an occupational health and safety program
Health/medical surveillance
Workplace monitoring/ surveillance
Health assessment (preplacement, periodic, mandatory, transfer, retirement/ termination, return to work).

25. Scope of services cont. Health promotion Health screening.
Primary health care for workers and dependents.
Worker safety and health education related to occupational hazards.
Prenatal & postnatal care
Preretirement counseling

26. Nursing care of working populations
The nurse is often the first health care provider seen by an individual with a work related health problem.
The occupational health nurse practices all levels of prevention.
Primary prevention (provide education of safety in the workplace to prevent injury).
Secondary prevention ( periodic screening to identify an illness at the earliest possible.
Tertiary prevention is intended to restore health as fully as possible

27. Worker Assessment Goal of these assessment
Identify agent and host factors that could place the employee at risk.
Determine prevention steps that can be taken to minimize potential health problem.

28. Health assessment of individual includes:
Occupational health histories
A list of current and past jobs the client has held
Current and past exposure to specific agents and relationship between the symptoms and activities at work.
Other factors that may enhance the client’s susceptibility to occupational agents (smoking, underlying illness, previous injury, disability).
The nurse notice the influence of work health interaction

29. Health assessment cont.
The nurse should be aware that not all workers are well informed about they work potential hazards.
The nurse must develop basic knowledge about the types of jobs held by clients and the possible hazards associated with them.
During these health assessment, the nurse has the opportunity to teach about workplace hazards and preventive measures the worker can use.

30. When Assessment Done
As preplacement examinations before the client begins a job.
With the onset of a work-related health problem or exposure.
When an employee is being transferred to another job.
At termination
At retirement

31. Workplace Assessment
The nurse should review the work process and work areas or locations in the workplace. To know
What hazards may be present.
Understanding the type of job.
Health requirements.
Description of the work environment. To know
Overall picture of general appearances and condition.
Safety signs of the environment.

32. Workplace Assessment cont.
A description of the employee group (worker population) to understanding:
Demographic and work distribution in the company.
Shift work and productivity to determine potential stressors.
Gather data about incidence/prevalence of work related illness/injuries and related hazards.
The types of occupational safety and health services to determine required program (health promotion )
Examine control strategies in place for eliminating exposures.

33. Work practice controls
Good hygiene
Waste disposal.
Housekeeping.
Administrative controls reduce exposure through
Job rotation
Workplace monitoring
Employee training and education
Personal protective control
Use of gloves, mask and gowns.

34. Disaster planning and management
Goals
Prevent or minimize injuries and deaths of workers and residents.
Provide effective work.

35. Disaster planning and management
The written plan must be shared with all who will be involved.
Employee should be prepared in
First aid
CPR
Fire group procedures.
Plan must be clear, specific and comprehensive (covering all shifts and all work areas).
Transportation plan, fire responses, and emergency services.

36. Disaster planning and management
The disaster plan, emergency and safety equipment and the first response team’s abilities should be tested at least annually.
Hospitals and other emergency services such as fire departments should be involved in plan.

37. Thank You