Show and tell: Does your boss have any idea what an OHN does every day?
Educate them about your role
If your boss was asked what you do in a typical day, do you think he or she would accurately describe your role and the impact it has on your workplace?
Occupational health nurses (OHNs) need to be proactive in educating senior management about who they are and what they do, urges Tamara Y. Blow, RN, MSA, COHN-S/CM, CBM, FAAOHN, manager of occupational health services for Altria Client Services in Richmond, VA. "We have to be seen as business partners and not just 'nurses who provide Band-Aids and aspirin,'" she says. "This can make the difference between whether we are outsourced or lose a contract."
Initially, the occupational health services department at Philip Morris USA, Blow's previous employer, reported to a director who was an occupational physician. "The metrics that we provided to the medical director, which were in turn given to senior management, were sufficient because the medical director had the credibility of being a physician," she says.
However, in a one-year time period, the occupational health services department reported to a safety director, a benefits director, a vice president of human resources, and a new benefits director. "I have learned from experience that OHNs cannot assume that their bosses know who they are and the value that they bring," says Blow.
To correct misconceptions, follow these steps:
1. Create a presentation about your role.
"My experience has been that it is better to give bosses their orientations from the inception," Blow says. "If the OHN procrastinates and waits until their bosses have already formulated their opinions, it is very, very, difficult to change stereotypes and preconceived notions about who OHNs are and what they do."
Too often, employees in managerial roles make inaccurate assumptions about the role of OHNs. "They may believe that their background gives them credibility to respond to occupational health issues without consulting the OHN," says Blow.
Blow created a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation that outlines the history of OHNs, the differences between OHNs today and in the past, and the differences between OHNs and nurses in the hospital setting.
Blow not only showed the presentation to her new bosses, but also her staff, so that they would have "sound bites" to respond to senior management about their role. "The reaction was very positive," says Blow. "One of my former bosses stated that she was very impressed, and later challenged her bosses to give me and a couple of other nurses who reported to me a promotion."
The image of the OHN has to be changed, and the nurse has to be the driver of this change, argues Chris Kalina, MBA, MS, RN, COHN-S/CM, FAAOHN, director of global occupational health programs and services for the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in Chicago, IL. "Nurses have to put on more of a face of business, while not losing their face of compassion," she says. "It all comes down to marketingexplaining what we do and how we do it."
Unfortunately, many people do not believe that the OHN has the same clinical skills as a nurse in a hospital. "In general, OHNs must have stronger clinical and assessment skills. Often, they are the only health care provider in a facility and all decisions have to go through them," says Kalina. "The clinical skills should be at the level of an emergency room nurse or critical care nurse. Further, the OHN needs strong management and business skills."
2. Inform employees about the services you provide.
If employees know the entire scope of services offered by OHNs, that automatically helps the OHN's image, says Kalina. For example, employees may not realize that OHNs provide travel health counseling and education, ergonomic counseling to prevent musculoskeletal injuries, assessment of the safety of manufacturing environments, protection of the confidentiality of health information, development of crisis management and first aid programs, and prevention of the spread of infectious diseases. Kalina suggests creating a brochure listing the available services and programs.
3. Present data that show your impact.
Once employers have a clear understanding of your role, then present another PowerPoint presentation with metrics, including bar graphs, charts, and any data that show trends, says Blow.
For example, if you have an onsite clinic, data regarding the amount of clinic visits, the type of clinic visits, and any trends in visits should be submitted to senior management on a monthly basis. "This provision of data will open up questions and provide opportunities for meetings and forums with senior management," Blow says.
Tell senior managers "I would like to explain this data to you," and set up a 10 to 15 minute meeting to do so, advises Blow.
"The 'soft stuff' and the intangibles are very valuable, but business partners do not seem to understand the intangibles unless these are translated into dollars," says Blow. "Data, data, and more data with dollars attached are what they want."
4. Make it clear that no one else can do your job.
For the most part, OHNs don't know how to market themselves effectivelyand you are the only one who can show how you are making a difference, says Karen Griffith, global health, well-being and productivity senior program manager at Chandler, AZ-based Intel Corporation. "You need to constantly remind your managers and employees how important the service is that you are providing," says Griffith.
That may mean financial savings, such as through injury reduction programs and case management. But supervisors also need to know all the "high touch" things you dobuilding morale, being an advocate for employees, or influencing the development of programs that make your employer more successful in the long run. "There is no one else in the company that can do those things," says Griffith.
Sources/Resources
For more information on correcting misconceptions about the OHN's role, contact:
- Tamara Y. Blow, RN, MSA, COHN-S/CM, CBM, FAAOHN Manager, Occupational Health Services, Altria Client Services, Richmond, VA. Phone: (804) 274-5805. Fax: (804) 274-5489. E-mail: [email protected]
- Karen Griffith, Global Health, Well-being and Productivity Senior Program Manager, Intel Corporation, Chandler, AZ. Phone: (480) 715-8691. E-mail: [email protected].
- Chris Kalina, MBA, MS, RN, COHN-S/CM, FAAOHN, Director, Global Occupational Health Programs and Services, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, Chicago, IL. Phone: (312) 645-3770. E-mail: [email protected].
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