When it comes to working wellness into your workforce, you want someone who knows the ins and outs of wellness, and who can counsel employees and provide main care – all within the context of the current regulatory and legal environment.
AAOHN’s survey reported that more than half of employees (61 percent) want to receive wellness information from a health care professional, like a consultant or an onsite occupational health nurse (OHN), compared to handouts or handouts (18 percent) or human resources (HR) staff (15 percent).
OHNs can develop, implement and evaluate components of work site wellness programs such as screening programs, exercise/fitness courses, stress management, tobacco use cessation, nutrition and weight control programs, as well as chronic illness management programs.
Plus, OHNs can help employees navigate through complicated health plans and might even serve as a triage point between employees and their personal healthcare providers.
Workers 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 workers are under treatment for chronic conditions 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 onsite nurse for information about signs or prescription medication than it’s to schedule a follow-up visit to a personal health care provider.
Benefits realized by companys include enhanced worker morale and retention, a recruitment advantage, increased productivity and reduced time away from work.
In companies with a safety department, the OHN can evaluate and address work-related health issues, including participation in workstation examinations to correct potential ergonomic problems, and proactively addressing muscle strains by developing stretching programs and involving employees in leading stretches.
Corporate Wellness Companies