Direct Care In The Occupational Setting Flashcards
Advanced practice nursing
An umbrella term for a licensed registered nurse prepared at the graduate degree level as a clinical specialist, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife or nurse practitioner
Direct care
Hands on clinical care delivery to individual clients
Primary care
The provision of integrated, accessible and coordinated health care service
Characteristics of primary care
- Person centered, wholistic, all levels of prevention
- Provided in partnership with clients, context of family and community
- Provided by multidisciplinary health care team, goal improving outcomes
- “Health care providers” and “clinicians” used to describe those who provide primary care
Professional and regulatory parameters of practice
- Standards (Standard I: Assessment and Standard II: Diagnosis)
- Competencies (Category I: Clinical and Primary Care)
- Licensure laws (scope of practice)
Nurse licensure compact
A mutual recognition model if nurse licensure that allows a nurse to have one license (in state of residency) and to practice (physical and electronic) in other states, subject to each states practice law and regulation
Range and scope of direct care services may include the following:
- Care for occupational and non occupational conditions
- First aid
- Emergency care
- Minor acute care
- Chronic illness management
- Full service primary care
- 24 hour call
- Prevention based services
- Case management of occupational and non occupational health problems
- Home care
- Telehealth services
Examples of prevention based services
- Health promotion and screening programs and services
- Pre placement programs
- Immunizations
- Health surveillance
Telehealth
Refers to the use of electronic information to support long distance health service delivery, health education and health administration
Direct care services can be offered to:
- Workers
- Dependents
- Retirees
Service providers onsite may include
- Occupational and environmental health nurses
- Clinical nurse specialists in occupational health
- Adult or family nurse practitioners who specialize in occupational and environmental health
- Family or primary care physicians or doctors of osteopathy who specialize in preventive medicine/ occupational medicine
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Massage therapists
- Mental health professionals
- Other providers based on a needs assessment
Rationale for providing on site direct care services:
- Greater convenience for workers
- Less down time resulting from absence due to sickness and visits to offsite health care providers
- Greater opportunity for case management to monitor quality, outcomes and cost of care
- Fast and accurate determination of work related etiology
- Opportunity for timely prevention/ loss control activities at worksite
- Accommodations are made by onsite providers who are knowledgeable about the work site
- Opportunity to reinforce safe work practices with each worker encounter
- Ability to tailor direct care services to the risk profile of the company
- Cost savings by controlling duplicate health care services and reducing absence from sickness
- Opportunity to reinforce self care approach to health
Factors to evaluate to determine if direct care is needed onsite
- Hazard profile of company
- Geographic proximity to nearest emergency facilities
- Injury and illness statistics (both occupational and nonoccupational)
- Demographics of the work force
- Health benefit coverage
- Company philosophy about direct care activities for workers
- Financial and personnel resources
Demographics of work force that would be a factor in determining need for onsite direct care
- Number of workers
- Age
- Gender
- Length of employment with firm
Health care coverage components that would be a factor in determining need for onsite direct care
- Number of workers with coverage
2. Inclusion or exclusion of preventive and mental health services
Ethical considerations for direct care in the occupational setting
- Confidentiality of personal health information of workers and their dependents must be safeguarded according to professional codes of conduct and state and federal laws
- Provider must balance the “duty to warn” against right to privacy of worker/dependent
- Prioritize direct care services and do not duplicate direct care services that could be funded through health care insurance coverage
- Workers have the right to know about hazards in work setting and must be notified of an exposure or abnormal physical finding
Legal considerations for direct care in the occupational setting
- Documentation must be done according to professional codes of conduct and AAOHN standards
- APNs can prescribe medications
- Activities related to care of clients must comply with OSHA standards and state law for ensuring direct care providers are free from disease
- Potential liability arises if there is malpractice by the direct care provider
Professional considerations for direct care in the occupational setting
- Providers must be competent to perform direct care activities and must practice within the states business and professions code and scope of practice
- AAOHN standards guide professional practice
- Outcomes of clinical care must be measured and clinical care evaluated using continuous quality improvement model
- Standardized language for occupational and environmental health nursing must be adopted to document both processes
- Secure data management systems must be created not only for individual care but also population based disease management
- Policies and procedures outlining practice understandings and consultation/referral mechanisms must be delineated
- Direct care activities must be linked to prevention activities at the worksite
Primary emphasis of direct care activities
- Health promotion
2. Health protection
Health promotion
- Begins with people who are basically healthy
- Uses strategies related to personal life style
Health promotion activities may include
- Physical exercise
- Weight control
- Nutrition
- Reduction of the use of alcohol
- Reduction of the use of tobacco
Health protection strategies
- Are related to environmental or regulatory measures that confer protection on large population groups
- Include food and drug safety and environmental health initiatives
Three levels of prevention
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
Unique knowledge needs for direct care in occupational health
- Physical and mental requirements of a workers job
- Work processes
- Potential hazards
- Personal protective equipment
- Link between work site exposure and adverse health effects
- Link between worker health status and a safe work environment
- Clinical practice guidelines and evidence based practice for treatment and disability management
- Clinical care philosophy that promotes safe work as therapeutic
- Counsel, educate and coach effectively
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to manage multiple health and illness conditions
- Awareness of connection between physical and psychosocial aspects of illness
- Medical record documentation that safeguards personal health information in employment settings
- Legal standards that may specify care components for screening or surveillance