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 found 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 worksite 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 programs, exercise/fitness courses, Stress management, tobacco use cessation, nutrition and weight control programs, and chronic illness management programs. Plus, OHNs can help employees navigate through complicated health plans and may even serve as a triage point between employees and their personal 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, worksite nurses can routinely monitor risk factors such as blood pressure or cholesterol on a regular basis.

It’s frequently easier for an employee to ask an worksite nurse for information about symptoms or prescription medication than it is to schedule a follow-up visit to a personal health care provider. Benefits realized by employers include enhanced employee morale and retention, a recruitment advantage, increased productivity and decreased time away from work.

In employers 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 programs and involving employees in leading stretches.