INFLUENCES ON THE ROLE OF THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER

4310 WORDS

Occupational Health is a specialty branch of public health focusing on the care of the working community. It is focused on the care of people at work and attempts to ensure the work is not causing the worker any harm. Since the first official documented occupational health nurse, Phillipa Flowerday, in 1878, there has been a great deal of development in this role. Occupational health is particularly relevant in the 21st century as the workplace environment is becoming more challenging and complex posing potential concerns for the employer as well as the employee (Thornbury 2018). This is partly due to the advances of manufacturing, science and technology as well as the nursing profession itself. The contemporary occupational health practitioner has, and will likely continue to , adapt where able to these advancements. Nursing, as a profession, is bound by the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Conduct (2018) and its professional and ethical responsibilities it upholds. Linking to this, the nature of public health and assessing the needs within a community should be strongly evidence based  to decide how it can be best used and inform our practice (Coles 2008). This could be though policies, legislation, professional guidelines and documents or reliable research. The contemporary occupational health practitioner should possess the skills and knowledge to perform an appropriate and comprehensive health needs assessment to the working community in order to protect and promote a healthy lifestyle to the worker in their environment. This essay will discuss: the theories and principles of occupational health and public health, the role of the occupational health practitioner in relation to the professional and ethical dimensions, policy and legislation in relation to evidence and health needs assessment.

THEORIES AND PRINCIPLES OF OCCUPATIONAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Public health incorporates the science and art of avoiding ailments, extending life and promoting health through the system