When it comes to working wellness into your workforce, you want someone who knows the ins and outs of wellness, and who can counsel workers and provide main care – all within the context of the current regulatory and legal environment.
AAOHN’s survey stated that more than half of employees (61 percent) want to receive wellness information from a healthcare professional, such as a advisor or an on-site occupational health nurse (OHN), compared to pamphlets or pamphlets (18 percent) or human resources staff (15 percent).
OHNs can develop, implement and evaluate components of work site wellness programs like screening programs, exercise/fitness courses, stress management, use of tobacco cessation, nutrition and weight control programs, as well as chronic disease management programs.
Plus, OHNs can help workers navigate through complicated health plans and might even serve as a triage point between workers and their personal health care 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 workers are under treatment for chronic diseases like heart illness, onsite nurses can routinely monitor risk factors like blood pressure or cholesterol on a regular basis.
It’s 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 an individual healthcare provider.
Benefits realized by companys include enhanced employee 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 evaluations to correct potential ergonomic problems, and proactively addressing muscle strains by developing stretching programs and involving staff members in leading stretches.