I have to agree with Sharon. We should manage a FA service but I do not
believe we should be providing a treatment service as our skills are better
utilised in other ways. We should be integral to accident prevention.

My mother trained as an OHN when I was a teenager. In those days there was a
requirement for a final examination and I was "testing her". What hit home
then was her statement that an OH service should not be providing a
treatment service. She managed  OH services in two heavy industries
including the National Coal Board and a battery factory. She was ahead of
her time. She recruited  first aiders in both of those settings who she
trained as OH technicians. They undertook some of the routine health
surveillance and if there was an injury which could not be dealt with "on
the shop floor" they would give that treatment in the OH department.

The OH staff were integral to the training of first aiders in both those
organisations and would manage how FA was provided in the event of a major.
I recall a major accident at Hapton Colliery. The mines rescue team were
integral to dealing with the injuries at the coal face - the OHN and the OH
physician gave further treatment including administration of morphine.

Anne 


On 09/04/2016 11:14, "Roberta Hanlon" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> ok, perhaps a silly question but is there really a correct answer if
> Occupational Health should or should not be providing First Aid?
> 
> Does it not ultimately depend on each site /employer? In the past I have
> provided First Aid as that was what my employer wanted. I don't provide this
> at present as I'm not asked to...
> 
> Roberta
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sharon naylor
> Sent: Saturday, April 9, 2016 10:33 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] first aid
> 
> A selfish notion - I think if I did first aid , except in exceptional
> circumstances (eg a collapse during a consultation) then my clients would
> soon be questioning what they were paying for and replace me with someone
> much cheaper.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On 8 Apr 2016, at 15:13, pippa james <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> 
>> Karen I agree completely. Excellently put .
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On 8 Apr 2016, at 09:01, Karen Coomer <[log in to unmask]>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Sandra and others
>>> I think the original question was whether occupational health should
>>> provide first aid. So if we look at the discipline of occupational health
>>> nursing it does move on from the definition of a nurse in that it
>>> specialises in the effect of work on health and also the effect of health
>>> on work. That then leads us to advising our population on what they need
>>> to do to prevent injuries and ill health. An OH needs assessment of what
>>> is required is what we are trained to do in occupational health and first
>>> aid is part of that. I would say that there is sometimes a need to
>>> provide a treatment service depending on the risk to employees, location
>>> of the nearest emergency services etc  but that doesn't necessarily mean
>>> that occupational health services provide it. In my experience most
>>> companies cannot afford or justify a treatment service staffed by nurses
>>> and also fund all the other services necessary to keep employees well and
>>> employers compliant with the legalities of H&S legislation and employment
>>> law eg, health surveillance. I attach the definition of occupational
>>> health as defined by WHO which discusses first aid but it also the
>>> emphasises the management of workplace health and a comprehensive
>>> occupational health strategy.
>>> 
>>> I once did some stats on a treatment based OH service that I inherited
>>> and basically could demonstrate that I saw in three months only 7% of the
>>> workforce, often the same faces. That evidence helped the business look
>>> at what they wanted to focus on and they then took on my recommendations
>>> to develop a first aid service staffed by employees but supported by OH
>>> staff. In the majority of companies that works very well.
>>> 
>>> The definition of an occupational health nurse by WHO is:
>>> 
>>> The role of the specialist occupational health nurse is primarily
>>> orientated towards:
>>> a) the prevention of occupational injury and disease through a
>>> comprehensive pro-active occupational health and safety strategy
>>> b) the promotion of health and work ability, by focusing on
>>> non-occupational, workplace preventable conditions that, whilst not
>>> caused directly by work, may affect the employees ability to maintain
>>> attendance or performance at work, through a comprehensive workplace
>>> health promotion strategy.
>>> c) Improving environmental health management, by reducing risk to the
>>> working population and the wider community, which contributes to the
>>> wider public health agenda
>>> 
>>> I also attach the position paper by the development group of the Faculty
>>> of Occupational Health Nursing which is an up to date description of
>>> occupational health nursing, see appendix 3 for a summary.
>>> 
>>> I hope that helps the debate
>>> Regards
>>> Karen
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
>>> Behalf Of Sandra Coyne
>>> Sent: 08 April 2016 00:43
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: [OCC-HEALTH] first aid
>>> 
>>> This is what I applied for and will undertake all injuries  and sickness
>>> during my shift if I had wanted to be an office worker that is what I
>>> would have applied for DEFINITION OF NURSING Definition of Nursing (long
>>> version)
>>> 
>>> Nursing, as an integral part of the health care system, encompasses the
>>> promotion of health, prevention of illness, and care of physically ill,
>>> mentally ill, and disabled people of all ages, in all health care and
>>> other community settings.  Within this broad spectrum of health care, the
>>> phenomena of particular concern to nurses are individual, family, and
>>> group "responses to actual or potential health problems" (ANA, 1980,
>>> P.9).  These human responses range broadly from health restoring
>>> reactions to an individual episode of illness to the development of
>>> policy in promoting the long-term health of a population.
>>> 
>>> The unique function of nurses in caring for individuals, sick or well, is
>>> to assess their responses to their health status and to assist them in
>>> the performance of those activities contributing to health or recovery or
>>> to dignified death that they would perform unaided if they had the
>>> necessary strength, will, or knowledge and to do this in such a way as to
>>> help them gain full of partial independence as rapidly as possible
>>> (Henderson, 1977, p.4).  Within the total health care environment, nurses
>>> share with other health professionals and those in other sectors of
>>> public service the functions of planning, implementation, and evaluation
>>> to ensure the adequacy of the health system for promoting health,
>>> preventing illness, and caring for ill and disabled people.  (ICN, 1987)
>>> 
>>> Definition of Nursing 2 (short version)
>>> 
>>> Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of
>>> all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all
>>> settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of
>>> illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy,
>>> promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping
>>> health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education
>>> are also key nursing roles. (ICN, 2002)
>>> 
>>> Definition of a Nurse
>>> 
>>> The nurse is a person who has completed a program of basic, generalized
>>> nursing education and is authorized by the appropriate regulatory
>>> authority to practice nursing in his/her country.  Basic nursing
>>> education is a formally recognized program of study providing a broad and
>>> sound foundation in the behavioral, life, and nursing sciences for the
>>> general practice of nursing, for a leadership role, and for post-basic
>>> education for specialty or advanced nursing practice.  The nurse is
>>> prepared and authorized (1) to engage in the general scope of nursing
>>> practice, including the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and
>>> care of physically ill, mentally ill, and disabled people of all ages and
>>> in all health care and other community settings; (2) to carry out health
>>> care teaching; (3) to participate fully as a member of the health care
>>> team; (4) to supervise and train nursing and health care auxiliaries; and
>>> (5) to be involved in research.  (ICN, 1987)
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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>>> <Faculty of Occupational Health Nursing Position Paper Final.pdf>
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