Professional development - Coursework Example

The key trends in the specialty of occupational health nurses include electronic records to integrate primary care and occupational health. This is the biggest change that is happening to the health care reforms particularly for the occupational health nurses. Use of electronic records will ensure employees are treated for personal medical issues by use of on-site clinic (American Association of Occupational Health Nurses). There is need for resources and for the relevant management to acknowledge the significance of occupational medicine or occupational health.

The managers need to understand the cases and why we insist on occupational health on a daily basis. Most people who are outside the field have no knowledge what the occupational nurses do. Another trend that I notice in the American association of occupational hazard nurses is increase in OSHA surveillance and more awareness concerning environmental hazards and their impacts (American Association of Occupational Health Nurses). Environmental health is the main aspect of occupational medicine.

Most nurses are starting to recognize the need for patient advocacy. Patients are helped by the occupational health nurses to navigate through surgeries since they are sort of case managers. The occupational health nurses carry out activities that determine whether a section of workers is suffering from an occupational illness because of exposure to certain hazards. Currently, employees are exposed to human blood, animals and other body fluids, viruses and bacteria. By increased health surveillance, more employees who have been exposed to infectious biological agents have gone through immunization.

Health surveillance operates on the basis on environmental assessment, and the exposures are evaluated and documented. Health promotion and protection is yet another trend within the occupational health nurses. The nurses are aware that they are responsible for health