What is occupational health nursing?
I use the butterfly as my unofficial symbol to illustrate the scope of diversity of OH nurses and their various practice environments. There are thousands of different butterflies and the same holds true for variations in the occupational health nurses’ careers. When comparing butterflies, no two are the same. OHNs, even in the same company, have different roles and responsibilities. So consider the various species of butterflies and know that there is as much diversity in occupational health nursing. Where is the business of occupational health nursing headed? We have a decreasing number of available occupational health nurses, which mirrors the projected nursing shortage. Companies may outsource or eliminate the OHN position to buffer the deficiency. While many OHNs are providing clinical services, many are moving into managerial or case management functions. A number of our members are not prepared for this changing business arena. Some are still in traditional health roles such as
