Wellness in the Workplace: Who has the expertise?

When it comes to working wellness into your workforce, you want someone who knows the ins and outs of  health promotion, 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%) want to receive health and wellness  information from a health care professional, such as a consultant or an on-site occupational health  nurse (OHN), compared to pamphlets or brochures (18%) or human resources staff (15%).

OHNs can develop, begin and evaluate components of work site Employee Wellness Programs such as testing  initiatives, exercise/fitness courses, Stress Management Programs, tobacco use cessation, nutrition and  weight control initiatives, as well as chronic illness management initiatives. Plus, OHNs can help  employees navigate through complicated health plans and may even serve as a triage point between  employees and their own 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 employees are under  treatment for chronic diseases like heart disease, on-site nurses can routinely monitor risk factors  such as blood pressure or cholesterol on a regular basis.

It’s often easier for an worker to ask an on-site nurse for information about symptoms or prescription  medication than it is to schedule a follow-up visit to a own health care provider. Advantages realized  by corporations include improved 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 evaluations to correct potential ergonomic problems, and  proactively addressing muscle strains by developing stretching initiatives and involving employees in  leading stretches.