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 announced that more than half of employees (61 percent) want to receive wellness information from a health care expert, such as a consultant or an on-site occupational health nurse (OHN), compared to  brochures or  brochures (18 percent) or human resources staff (15 percent).

OHNs can develop, implement and evaluate components of work site health promotion programs like screening programs, exercise/fitness courses, stress management, use of tobacco cessation, nutrition and weight control programs, in addition to chronic illness management programs.

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

Employees might refrain from seeing their healthcare 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 conditions like heart illness, on-site nurses can routinely monitor risk factors like blood pressure (BP) or cholesterol on a regular basis.

It’s often easier for an staff member to ask an on-site nurse for information about symptoms or prescription medication than it’s to schedule a follow-up visit to an individual health care provider.

Benefits realized by businesss include enhanced worker morale and retention, a recruitment advantage, increased productivity and decreased time away from work.

In corporations 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.