EMTs Working with Occupational Health Nurses
EMTs, including paramedics, in the workplace — an AAOHN position statement
Recognizing that cooperation between registered professional occupational and environmental health nurses and emergency medical technician (EMT) personnel is essential for ensuring high-quality emergency care. The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) supports a collaborative relationship between its members and the emergency medical services (EMS) community. AAOHN believes, however, that in situations requiring professional judgment and direction, the registered professional occupational and environmental health nurse should be responsible for health services in the workplace.
Rationale
Occupational and environmental health nurses are registered health professionals employed in business, health care, industry, academia, or government to preserve, protect, and restore the health and safety of workers and to ensure a safe and healthy work environment through application of scientific nursing process and nursing diagnosis. Paramedics/EMTs are certified health care providers who facilitate the safe transfer of ill or injured persons to appropriate emergency health care systems following triage and stabilization according to medical protocols.
AAOHN recognizes the community need for an immediate response to medical emergencies by highly qualified personnel. AAOHN acknowledges that paramedics and EMTs are trained to provide emergency care to the ill and injured. Occupational and environmental health nurses, however, are also prepared to respond to medical emergencies in the workplace.
Paramedics/EMTs and occupational and environmental health nurses collaborate to thwart life-threatening events by instituting appropriate life-support measures. In the process, the distinction between the services provided by paramedics/EMTs and occupational and environmental health nurses becomes obvious. Paramedics/ EMTs are trained to stabilize and transport victims of injury and emergency illness. The scope of occupational and environmental health nursing practice, however, includes more than trauma and illness response. In addition to providing medical emergency services, occupational and environmental health nurses use special skills in the prevention, recognition, and treatment of worker illness and injury; effective incident investigation; and subsequent worker rehabilitation. Other services include program management, health education, professional counseling, case management, research, health hazard identification and management, direct care, and responsibilities related to on-the-job employees, and environmental health and safety.
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