Health Promotion in the Worksite - Who’s the expertise?

When it comes to working wellness into your workforce, you want someone who knows the ins and outs of wellness, and who can counsel employees and provide primary care - all within the context of the current regulatory and legal environment.

AAOHN’s survey reported that more than half of employees (61 percent) want to receive wellness information from a healthcare expert, such as a advisor or an on-site occupational health nurse (OHN), compared to handouts or handouts (18 percent) or human resources (HR) staff (15 percent).

OHNs can develop, implement and evaluate components of work site health promotion programs like screening programs, exercise/fitness courses, stress management, smoking cessation, nutrition and weight control programs, as well as chronic disease management programs.

Plus, OHNs can help staff members navigate through complicated health care plans and might even serve as a triage point between staff members and their personal healthcare providers.

Employees might refrain from seeing their health care provider when it means time away from work, inconvenient parking, waiting time in the office and co-pays.

In situations where staff members are under treatment for chronic illnesss like heart illness, onsite nurses can routinely monitor risk factors like blood pressure or cholesterol on a regular basis.

It is often easier for an employee to ask an onsite nurse for information about signs or prescription medication than it’s to schedule a follow-up visit to a personal health care provider.

Benefits realized by employers include enhanced staff member morale and retention, a recruitment advantage, increased productivity and lowered time away from work.

In businesses with a safety department, the OHN can evaluate and address work-related health issues, including participation in workstation investigations to correct potential ergonomic problems, and proactively addressing muscle strains by developing stretching programs and involving staff members in leading stretches.