One area of increased focus for occupational and environmental health nurses is managing the costs of healthcare while ensuring the quality of the care. In this role, they help determine safe and effective levels of physical and mental capacity necessary to perform the job. The nurse helps coordinate extended health care services for employees with complex illnesses or injuries and works with community agencies and providers to find the most appropriate and cost-effective services. As business structures change in response to economical demand, the number of part-time and temporary positions are on the rise, jobs are shifting from manufacturing to services, and telecommuting is becoming the norm in a number of companies. New processes and equipment are being introduced and hundreds of new chemicals are being manufactured each year.
Global business continues to draw companies to international regions.
All of these factors are resulting in an increase in work environment hazards. This evolution makes the role of occupational and environmental health nursing even more crucial to protect workers from unfamiliar challenges that impact their health and safety. Occupational and environmental health nurses are registered nurses licensed to practice nursing in the states in which they work. It is preferred that nurses entering the field have a baccalaureate degree in nursing and experience in public or community health, ambulatory care, critical care or emergency nursing. Occupational and environmental health offers nurses an opportunity to expand their careers and forge new boundaries for the profession.