NR443 Community Health Nursing

Occupational nursing is the key sectors in nursing that ensure the health of specific populations in the community is addressed. It involves promotion of work efficiency by teaching workers the proper ergonomics. The role of the occupational health nurse is to ensure maintenance of optimum physical, emotional and mental health of the employees. The setting in this paper is school health which involves the students, the staff working in the school and their health.

This paper seeks to address the role of the occupational nurse in the school health community setting and the organization that addresses the needs of the occupational nurses in America. The occupational health nurse promotes the health of the teachers working in the school. According to the International Labour Organization(2010), occupational health nurse fosters optimum wellness for the workers.

Community Setting

 School health refers to the healthy environment provided by the nurses in collaboration with other healthcare workers to promote optimum health of the students, teachers and another school faculty. School health previously involved three aspects namely; health instruction which is modifying health-related behaviors, health services to prevent health problems and a healthy environment to address nutrition and safety.

This expanded to be health education, physical education, health services which focus on prevention of illness, nutrition services, health promotion of staff, counseling and psychological services, healthy school environment, and parent and community involvement. The community involved in school health are the students, teachers and the non-teaching staff faculty. The population served by the occupational health nurse are the teachers and the non-teaching staff.

According to Allensworth, Wyche, Lawson&Nicholson(2012) the occupational health nurse provides health services to the teachers. This includes making a nursing diagnosis from the signs and symptoms and providing medical attention. The occupational health nurse plays the role of a clinician in that they use the nursing process to document care and plan for treatment as appropriate while issuing medications according to the law.

The occupational health nurse works hand in hand with the administration to ensure a safe environment for those who work in the school. This involves ergonomics whereby there is the creation of healthy work schedules for the teachers and school staff. Also, the nurse evaluates some factors such as chairs that are used to ensure they promote back health. The nurse is involved in advocating for supplying teachers with electronic devices which prevent back pain due to bending.

The occupational health nurse assesses the school staff physically and psychologically. This helps in the promotion of mental health to prevent mental illness. The nurse is at liberty with the consent of the client to refer them for further help with a psychiatrist or a therapist. Like all other jobs, teaching has its own challenges ; this may threaten one’s mental health. The nurse plays an important role in the promotion of mental health in the school environment.

Health Promotion Nursing Intervention

The occupational health nurse is involved in health promotion by educating the teachers on good ergonomics. Ergonomics refers to maintaining the right posture to avoid back, neck and leg pain. Teachers are involved in bending while illustrating to the students or writing on the whiteboard. It is important for them to know new techniques to prevent unnecessary musculoskeletal pain. The nurse plans seminars to teach the teachers on how to maintain the right postures and how to identify pain related to wrong postures. The nurse uses videos and demonstration to teach the teachers.

The nurse is involved in health promotion by assessing the mental health of the school staff. The nurse is involved with engaging the administration to provide leave for the teachers to unwind from the emotionally tasking job of teaching. The nurse also counsels the staff on how to handle their mental health.

The nurse intervention in the promotion of mental health is to assess risk factors and promote community assets such as mental health outpatient clinics for the school staff. According to Thomas et.al(2016), mental health promotion and preventing mental health is key among community health nurses. The nurse should collaborate with school administration and other healthcare workers such as general practitioners, psychologists, psychiatrists and independent bodies such as mental health support.

Professional Nursing Organization

American Association of Occupational Health Nurses(2012) is the nursing organization in the United States that represents occupational health nurses and provides guidance on the certification process and examination review. The organization is tasked with the role of determining the guidelines and ethics in occupational health nursing.

This body addresses the issue of confidentiality of the worker’s details against collection from their employee

Summary

This paper addresses the school health as the community setting and the community health nurse role in promoting proper ergonomics and mental health for the school staff. The nurse places several measures in place such as educating the staff on good ergonomics. Occupational nursing is an important aspect in the care of employees at the workplace.

References

Allensworth, D., Wyche, J., Lawson, E., & Nicholson, L. (2012). Defining a comprehensive school health program: an interim statement. Division of Health Sciences Policy,21(5),32.

American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. (2012). American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Code of Ethics. Occupational health nursing, 25(3), 28.

International Labour Organization. (2010). Occupational Health Nursing. International Labour Organization: Occupational Health Nursing definition,20(4),32

Thomas, S., Jenkins, R., Burch, T., Calamos Nasir, L., Fisher, B., Giotaki, G., … & Millington-Sanders, C. (2016). Promoting mental health and preventing mental illness in general practice. London journal of primary care, 8(1), 3-9.