Occupational health Nursing

Focus: preservation and restoration of health of workers and working population.

A public health perspective: a public health nurse can be an occupational health nurse who is in prime
position to assess the health needs of working population and design healthful working
interventions.

Function of Public Health Nurses as an occupational health Nurse

(referenced from PD *%^, Chapter VII-Industrial Hygiene of the Sanitation Code of the Philippines)

1. Work with the occupational health team to lead sanitary and industrial hygiene of all industrial
establishments including hospital to determine their compliance with the sanitation code and its
implementing rules
2. Recommends to local health authority the issuance of license/ business permits and suspension
or revocation of the same for any violation of condition upon which licenses or permits had
been issued, pursuant to existing rules and regulations.
3. Coordinates with other government agencies relative to the implementation of the
implementing rules and regulations.
4. Attends to complaints of all establishment in the area of assignment related to industrial
hygiene and recommends appropriate measures for immediate compliance
5. Participates to provide , install and maintains in good condition all control facilities and
protective barriers for potential and actual hazards
6. Inform all affected workers regarding the nature of hazards and the reasons for control
measures and equipment
7. Makes a periodic testing for physical examination of the workers and other health examinations
related to workers exposure to potential or actual hazard in the workplace
8. Provides control measures to reduce noise , dust, health and other hazards
9. Ensure strict compliance on the regular and proper maintenance of Personal Protective
Equipment
10. Provide employees/ workers an occupational health service and facilities
11. Refers or elevates to higher authority all unsolved issues in relation to occupational and
environmental health hazards.
12. Prepares and submit yearly reports to the local and National Government.

Application of public Health Principles to Occupational Health Nursing

Goal and objectives: utilization of Public Health Skills to plan and manage appropriate health programs
for the working population that makes into account on workers families and the
community

Leadership roles of the nurse utilizing public health skills includes the following:

Community Assessment
  Knows the community ‘s demographic data on disease trends including morbidity and mortality
statistics, and social environmental conditions that will provide pertinent information for the
establishment of priorities in planning and implementing Occupational health programs

Ex: health and environmental assessment on mercury exposure gold mining community in
western Mindanao for the directly exposed workers had statistically elevated blood mercury
levels . based on the community assessment of the DOHUP occupational health team. They
develop a Mercury Surveillance Program. The program includes education to prevent mercury
exposure, to promote early recognition and management of mercury and to successfully employ
recovering symptomatic miners with elevated mercury level

Worker assessment

 Assess the workforce to determine population at risk for occupationally related injury or illness.
 Classification of group of workers/employees by sex , age, race, type of work and presence or
absence of disability provides the occupational health nurse with the data necessary for analysis
of health risks
Ex. Fisher folks who stopped fishing in Guimaras due to MT solar I bunker oil spill. The DOHUP
occupational health team recommended that those directly exposed will be provided with
personal protective equipment such as proper mask, gloves, boots and clothing.

Team Approach

 Occupational health efforts to be most effective , requires team work.

 Collaborates among specialist such as safety engineers , medical technologies, toxicologies ,
occupational health physician, etc.

Program planning and implementation

1. Primary prevention
 A program to ensure the health of prospective employees includes history and
physical examination to assess level of wellness
 A workplace is surveyed periodically to protect workers from potential health
hazards(wet floor)
2. Secondary prevention
 Diseases are still possible
 Early detection and treatment of non work and work related problems
 Screening and monitoring of workers exposed to potential hazards and the affected
community posed by company hazards are carefully performed to comply with
company policy and government regulations
3. Tertiary prevention
 Rehabilitation efforts are directed towards workers disabled by occupational and
non-occupational problems
 Includes evaluation of the current status, enhancement of employability and
appropriatejob placement of employees
 Services of such discipline as physical , occupational and speech therapy ,
vocational training , remedial feeding.