health nursing is there one? Anne Harriss Reader in Educational - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The future of occupational health nursing – is there one? Anne Harriss Reader in Educational Development Course Director Occupational Health and Workplace Health Management programmes LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY harrispa@lsbu.ac.uk Tel 0207 815 6735 http://prospectus.lsbu.ac.uk/courses/course.php?UCASCode=unknown&CourseID=9472 1

Occupational Health - A new way of working ? Or “ This (2005) validation will be the death of us” – Critically discuss 2

My experience of developing a multi- pathway SCPHN programme in 2005 felt like this….. 3

Areas to explore – opportunities and threats • Public health and OHN practice. • Contribution to the Work, Health and Wellbeing strategy 4

Work should be good for our health and wellbeing Gordon Waddell, A Kim Burton (2006) Is Work Good for Your Health and Well-being? 5

Opportunities and threats. Identify a threat and/or an opportunity to the future of OH Nursing 6

Occupational health – the world of work 7

This country once had the highest per-capita income in the world – now nearly bankrupt – but were at the Olympics Anibare Bay • http://www.lonelypla net.com/nauru/image s/phosphate-bulk- nauru$6361- 4#content • http://www.bbc.co.uk /news/world-asia- pacific-15433616 8

NO FORWARD THINKING- Nauru as it is now – phosphates nearly gone heading for bankruptcy - 9

It has the highest rates of obesity in the world 80% of the population have diabetes – not “flexing their muscles” & overkill (from a western processed diet) 10

Potential threats to OH nursing can also be opportunities • OH technicians – incorporate them into the team to do the non-strategic work • Case Managers – caution – EFFECTIVE triage!!! • Workplace OTs and Physio’s – use their skills • NHS plus and NHS Health at Work – support for SMEs 11

Potential threats to OH nursing can also be opportunities • RCN SOHN – no longer exists now RCN Public Health Forum AOHNP saw the opportunity to take the OHN lead • NMC validation (SCPHN) or another body more in tune with OH practice SOM/FOM 12

Influences on OHN practice – Government and organisational policy – OHN education • influenced by validating and regulating bodies ie NMC and HEIs • Standards for SCPHN programmes • Are we preparing OHNs who have the skills which employers want and need? 13

Lets practice what we preach: Add value by • Innovatively contributing to the • Competently success of our employing • Confidently organisations • Effectively 14

OH practice is delivered in the workplace and its focus is public health Taking a leaf out of Ronseal’s book: 15

The clue is in our title: and…. 16

Do we want to be a vestigial appendage of health visiting? . • . 17

The Health, Work and Wellbeing strategy Aims to: – Improve the health and productivity of the (working age) population – Help those with health problems remain in productive employment in order that: – Prevent people falling into a benefit trap 18

Rationale behind the strategy Economic - for person and society Need more people in work to support our society because of an ageing population Work should be good for us - benefits ( must ) outweigh the adverse effects on health 19

The figures stacked up leading to strategy • 175 million working days lost in 2006 due to sickness absence (CBI) • 30 million days lost as the result of work- related ill health or injury • 1.4 million older people not working due to ill-health 20

Keeping or getting people back into employment • Government target of 80% employment • Need to: – increase the number of people in work – Have more people at work for more of the time – reduce sickness absence • The role of an OH service in employee health management is pivotal . 21

Promoting workplace health, safety and welfare • Being out of/away from work impacts on: – Social exclusion – Health inequalities – De-skilling • 80% of those out of work for 6/12 will be away from work for 5 years or more • After 2 years claiming incapacity benefit: claimant more likely to die, or retire, rather than return to work 22

The Government intends to: • Improve public health - • Keep people at work reduce health and keep them there inequalities and social for more of the time exclusion • Support people with • Improve the health & chronic health problems wellbeing of the or disabilities to stay in working population work • Reduce poverty and sustain the economy 23

Evolving OH provision - crystal ball gazing • Referral routes - GP, Employer, Jobcentre plus • Professionals involved: OHPs, OHNs, Employment advisers, OTs, Physios, CBT practitioners etc • Funding - ?? - Employers / Trusts, 24

Carving a niche • What are the opportunities? • What are the threats? 25

The challenges • Return to work recovery strategies - could we do better - if so how? • Inter-disciplinary working - who with? • Addressing OHN education and CPD needs? 26

OH education must meet the needs of practitioners • Are all SCPHN The London South courses equal? Bank University approach:  SCPHN & non- • What should be SCPHN pathways included in OHN  6 units other than a courses and how should they be research unit the delivered remaining 5 OHN specific 27

SCPHN (OH) educational programmes • Supporting practice - the structure required by the NMC: – Core and pathway specific elements – Cross boundary learning outcomes (usually with HV & SN) 28

Course content – NMC driven  The interpretation of NMC standards by some HEIs may be putting OHN’s at a disadvantage.  Multi-disciplinary same classroom learning may not effectively meet the needs of OHNs 29

Remember the 2005 experience? 30

Well the elephant had now become visible at LSBU (appropriately located @the Elephant and Castle) 31

South Bank University team – foresaw the threats and opportunities & challenged the status quo • We presented the challenges and persuaded our head of department to change the pattern. • Persuaded the SCPHN team that NMC outcomes should be used like tiles of a mosaic 32

From this to this 33

What we developed Welcome inter- disciplinary A spiral curriculum learning with OTs and Physio’s rather OH focused degree than HVs/SNs rooted in public health 34

Fitting the tiles into the mosaic BSc (Hons) Health BSc (Hons) Shared concepts Visiting & School Occupational and Nursing (SCPHN) Health Nursing outcomes (SCPHN) Evaluating Research for Evaluating Research for Accountability and Advance Practice Advanced Practice responsibility Legal and ethical frameworks Respect for individuals, groups and communities Reflection Problem solving abilities Complex decision making Risk assessment Risk management Clinical governance Change management Service Improvement Clinical leadership Project management Evidence based practice 35

Thumbs up - chocks away, fly high! 36

Stirring up a hornet’s nest? • I frequently lift my head above the parapet – usually it works sometimes I come close to getting into slightly hot water – Pressure exerted by non-OH colleagues re course content – Jumbo sized problem! – The first rap on the knuckles from our past Dean – Waiting for the second from our current Dean – Proposed a challenge to Prof Eileen Ellis: Chief Nurse Guys and St Thomas Hospital and Director of Infection Control 37

Me – when approaching retirement? (Hoping I will still have the drive, cut and thrust) 38

In conclusion • OHNs have always practiced public health • Soldiers were cared for by the first public health nurse – Florence Nightingale • Forsee threats – but spin them into opportunities • Stand by what we believe be brave & put ourselves in the firing line to move things forward • Otherwise we could go the way of …… 39

…… .. the dodo, we know of it’s existence in theory - but nothing left of it in practice . 40