Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 3:44
PM
Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] Training to OHN
status before RN training
on 15/10/06 1:49 pm, subscribe occ-health NITA at [log in to unmask]
wrote:
....Well they did it with
Midwives.................
Neet!!
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footer before replying.
Are the two professions comparable? I am
not sure that they are. I endorse the concept of midwives
undertaking direct entry training. However there are significant differences
between direct entry as a midwife and direct entry as an OHN:
- Although midwives deal with women who may have other health
problems I think I am correct in stating that midwives only deal
with women having normal pregnancies. Those who have abnormal pregnancies
would have obstetric care given by an obstetrician. OHNs, on the other
hand, deal with people of a variety of ages with a variety of nomral and "
abnormal" health statuses. Midwives do not have to develop any form
of "recovery / rehabilitation programmes" which requires a detailed
knowledge of illness, medical and surgical interventions, as well as
health issues.
- Midwives working in a hospital setting have a number of other
clinicians employed in the same clinical setting from whom they could get
immediate advice when necessary. Many OHNs work alone with no other health
care practitioner at the end of a phone never mind in the same building.
Seeking advice from the person's GP may also be inappropriate for reasons
discussed at length on this site in the past. The OHN may experience
brow beating by members of the management team who have no interest in
health their only interest is productivity. Sound advice is based on a
breadth of sound knowledge and judgement. I eschew the concept of work
based treatment services but I am of the opinion that the knowledge I
gained during my practice as a general and A & E nurse is essential in
my practice as an OHN.
- Midwives, on initial registration, do not immediately practice in the
primary care setting. They undertake their initial education in primary
and secondary setting but on initial registration they would be working in
a hospital based team. Further experience (and ???further
education/training) is required before embarking on practice in the
primary care setting
- It is likely that initial course of education is of 3 years duration.
I am unsure whether this would be long enough to gain enough knowledge and
skills to become competent. The move to immediate registration as a SCPHN
means a practitioner would be qualified to practice in the primary care
setting from the minute their registration comes through. Many may be
employed as lone practitioners with little support. They will not know
what they do not know. Would the General Medical Council endorse an
occupational physician to be able to become qualified to work in OH
without first having registered as a general physician with MBBS or
MBChB?
Any others have views on this. What are
the opinions of those OHNs who are also midwives and of occupational physician
subscribers?
Anne