Wellness Plans : Wellness in the Worksite – Who’s the expertise?

When it comes to working wellness into your workforce, you want someone who knows the ins and outs of wellness, and who can counsel staff and provide primary care – all within the context of the current regulatory and legal environment.

AAOHN’s survey announced that more than half of workers (61 percent) want to receive wellness information from a health care professional, like a consultant or an onsite occupational health nurse (OHN), compared to flyers or flyers (18 percent) or HR staff (15 percent).

OHNs can develop, implement and evaluate components of work site wellness programs like screening programs, exercise/fitness courses, stress management, smoking cessation, nutrition and weight control programs, in addition to chronic disease management programs.

Plus, OHNs can help staff navigate through complicated healthcare plans and may even serve as a triage point between staff and their personal health care providers.

Workers might refrain from seeing their healthcare provider when it means time away from work, inconvenient parking, waiting time in the office and co-pays.

In situations where workforce are under treatment for chronic illnesss 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 employee to ask an onsite nurse for information about symptoms or prescription medication than it’s to schedule a follow-up visit to an individual healthcare provider.

Benefits realized by companys include enhanced employee morale and retention, a recruitment advantage, increased productivity and lowered time away from work.

In companies 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 personnel in leading stretches.