Occupational Health Nurse
April 11, 2024
Updated May 20, 2025
21 minute read
Exploring a Career as an Occupational Health Nurse
Occupational Health Nursing is a specialized area of nursing focused on the health, safety, and well-being of people in the workplace. These professionals work to prevent illness and injury, protect workers from occupational and environmental hazards, and promote overall health. They blend healthcare expertise with an understanding of business operations and legal regulations to create safer, healthier work environments. This role is crucial in helping organizations maintain a productive workforce while ensuring compliance with safety standards.
Working as an Occupational Health Nurse (OHN) can be incredibly rewarding. You have the opportunity to make a tangible difference in employees' lives by fostering a culture of safety and wellness. The field is dynamic, with responsibilities ranging from direct patient care and health education to policy development and emergency preparedness. Furthermore, the ability to see the direct impact of your interventions on both individual employee health and the overall productivity of an organization can be a uniquely satisfying aspect of this career.
Introduction to Occupational Health Nursing
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Find a path to becoming a Occupational Health Nurse. Learn more at:
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Reading list
We've selected some books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Occupational Health Nurse.
This comprehensive guide from OSHA provides detailed information on the types of PPE, their selection, use, maintenance, and disposal. It also covers the legal requirements for PPE in various industries.
This textbook covers the fundamental principles of chemical process safety, addressing hazards associated with chemical reactions, equipment failure, human error, and natural disasters. It emphasizes practical applications and case studies to illustrate risk management strategies and best practices in process industries.
A comprehensive introduction to industrial hygiene, this book is crucial for understanding the technical aspects of occupational health. It delves into the legal framework, human physiology, toxicology, exposure control, and sampling strategies. is valuable for undergraduates and graduate students seeking to deepen their understanding and is often used as a core textbook in occupational health and safety programs.
This textbook provides a broad overview of both occupational and environmental medicine, highlighting the interconnectedness of these fields. It is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and medical professionals. The book covers the diagnosis and management of occupational diseases and valuable reference for clinical practice.
Comprehensive reference covering physical and biological hazards encountered in the workplace. It provides detailed information on recognition, evaluation, and control of these hazards, making it essential for industrial hygienists and safety professionals. It is particularly useful for deepening understanding of specific hazard types.
Provides an international perspective on the management of hazardous chemicals, addressing their classification, labeling, transportation, and disposal. It discusses global regulations, harmonization efforts, and best practices for ensuring the safe handling and use of hazardous substances.
Is an excellent starting point for gaining a broad understanding of occupational health and hygiene. It covers foundational concepts, hazard recognition, evaluation, and control, making it suitable for high school students and undergraduates. The latest edition incorporates contemporary topics like psychosocial hazards and updated assessment techniques, serving as a valuable reference tool. It is commonly used as a textbook in academic settings.
This practical guide from WHO provides clear and concise instructions on the selection, use, and disposal of PPE in healthcare settings. It is an essential resource for healthcare professionals who need to ensure their own safety and protect their patients from infection.
This handbook detailed resource for ergonomics specialists and engineers, providing guidelines for redesigning tools, machines, and work layouts. It delves into evaluating job demands and simulating alternative work methods. This valuable reference for those looking to deepen their understanding of applied ergonomics in occupational settings.
Part of the well-regarded Oxford Handbook series, this book offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of occupational health. It valuable resource for medical students and practitioners needing quick access to information on diagnosis, management, and prevention of work-related health issues.
This textbook focuses on safety in the chemical process industries, covering hazard identification, risk assessment, and risk management strategies. It emphasizes practical applications, case studies, and industry standards to provide a comprehensive understanding of process safety principles.
A concise and practical guide, this book is excellent for quickly referencing key occupational health topics. It is suitable for students and professionals who need a portable and accessible resource for everyday use. While not exhaustive, it provides a good overview of current practices and a complete, international perspective.
Covers the management and practice of occupational health for a range of health practitioners. It provides an overview of the field from a practical standpoint, making it relevant for nurses, physicians, and other health professionals working in occupational health services.
Connects occupational health with broader public health concepts, emphasizing prevention, epidemiology, and disparities. It is suitable for students and professionals in public health programs with an interest in occupational health, providing a foundational understanding of how to develop and evaluate relevant programs.
Offers a comprehensive introduction to environmental health, a field closely related to occupational health. It explores how environmental factors impact health on various scales and introduces relevant policies and scientific tools. It is valuable for students seeking to understand the broader context of workplace health within the environment and can serve as additional reading.
Addresses the crucial contemporary topic of psychological safety in the workplace, which is directly related to psychosocial risks in occupational health. It provides a framework for creating a workplace where employees feel safe to speak up, contributing to a healthier and more productive environment. This is highly relevant for understanding modern workplace challenges.
This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of occupational safety and health management, including a chapter on PPE. It is an essential resource for students and professionals who need to understand the principles and best practices of occupational safety and health.
Offers a clear and comprehensive study of major environmental health topics, including those relevant to occupational settings like air and water quality, food safety, and waste disposal. It provides a straightforward approach with examples and illustrations, making it suitable for beginning students and experienced health professionals seeking to understand the environmental aspects of occupational health.
Provides a concise introduction to both occupational and environmental medicine, using the accessible ABC format. It is suitable for students and those new to the field, offering a clear and simple overview of key concepts and common conditions.
This handbook, developed by NIOSH and OSHA, provides practical workplace safety and health information specifically for small businesses. It includes checklists for identifying hazards and summarizes the benefits of effective safety programs. It valuable resource for employers and safety professionals working with smaller organizations.
While focused on Australian regulation, this book provides insights into the legal and regulatory aspects of occupational health and safety, which are fundamental to the field globally. It is particularly useful for those interested in the policy and legal frameworks governing workplace safety and can serve as a comparative resource.
This pocket-sized handbook serves as a quick reference for workers on key health and safety concepts and common workplace hazards. It valuable tool for promoting a safety culture at the worker level and provides practical tips for daily use. While basic, it is important for a broad understanding of OSH from the worker's perspective.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/career/ulpj2u/occupational