When you first dreamed of becoming a nurse, you may have pictured yourself working in a doctor’s office or a hospital.
But what if your concern for the health and safety of others would be better served in their own workplace?
This is what occupational health nurses do every day — they take care of workers within companies while also helping make job sites safer. And they can do it in a variety of different settings all over the country.
Let’s explore what occupational health travel nurses do, why their jobs are so important, and what steps you can take to pursue this field.
Table of Contents
- What Is an Occupational Health Travel Nurse?
- Why Are Travel Occupational Health Nurses Important?
- What Makes Occupational Travel Nursing a Great Job Opportunity?
- Duties and Responsibilities of Occupational Health Travel Nurses
- FAQs About Occupational Health Travel Nursing
- Trusted Nurse Staffing and Pronto Can Help You Find Occupational Health Travel Nursing Opportunities
What Is an Occupational Health Travel Nurse?
An occupational health nurse — also known as an employee health nurse — is a registered nurse who specializes in caring for the workers within a company or organization.
OHNs promote safety and wellness in the workplace while treating employees’ injuries and illnesses.
Occupational health nursing is a specialty that lends itself well to travel nursing, as it’s a great career path for those who want to work in diverse environments outside of a hospital setting. Many nurses choose this field because they find that it lends itself to a better work-life balance with more flexibility than a traditional nursing job.
As an occupational health travel nurse, you can take employee health positions in your own state or anywhere around the country.
Why Are Travel Occupational Health Nurses Important?
Travel occupational health nurses are important because they keep workplaces safe and employees well.
Imagine having someone on-site who can treat sick employees or tend to injuries without them having to leave the job. And think of the advantage of someone being there to stop the spread of illness that could possibly decimate the workforce.
There is evidence that occupational health nurses can positively affect a company’s bottom line by:
- Integrating health promotion programs
- Helping employees stay healthy and safe
- Keeping workers as fully productive as possible
Access to occupational health travel nurses is crucial in areas where many companies need OHNs but there are not enough healthcare workers to keep positions filled.
What Makes Occupational Health Travel Nursing a Great Job Opportunity?
They say variety is the spice of life, and working as a travel occupational health nurse will certainly provide you with lots of it. You can use the same basic skill set but find yourself working in many different environments and types of companies, which can help keep your job interesting.
OHNs often enjoy fast-paced and busy work days without the high stress that can come along with life-and-death situations many nurses deal with regularly. The focus on preventative care, workplace safety, and improving the health of employees helps make this a rewarding position for any travel nurse.
And if you work with the right travel nursing agency, you may have your pick of high-paying contracts along with benefit packages, bonuses, stipends, and other perks.
Check out Trusted Nurse Staffing’s Pronto job search to find open occupational health travel nurse positions that interest you.
Duties and Responsibilities of Occupational Health Travel Nurses
Wondering what you’ll be doing in a job as an OHN? While this is not an exhaustive list of what occupational health travel nurses may work on each day, here are some of their main areas of focus.
Health Screenings
One key part of a travel occupational health nurse’s job is to offer health screenings for prospective and new employees. This will help ensure that they’re up to the task of completing their assigned duties.
Health screenings may include:
- Physical exams
- Hearing and vision tests
- Drug and alcohol screenings
Early health screenings are important because they could save companies from possible health-related liabilities down the road.
Preventative Health
Since workplace health programs are known to increase productivity, a big part of a travel OHN’s job should be to offer preventative health strategies to company employees.
These may be things like:
- Immunizations
- Chronic disease monitoring
- Stress management programs
- Nutrition/weight control programs
- Exercise and fitness regimes
- Smoking cessation plans
Creative occupational health travel nurses could have a lot of fun coming up with reward systems, recognitions/awards, and more. A great part of this job is keeping people motivated and seeing the positive change that happens in their lives as a result.
Workplace Hazard Detection/Risk Reduction
These responsibilities go hand in hand as travel OHNs can both work to make the job environment safer and teach employees how to do their jobs without risking injury.
Referring to OSHA guidelines for that particular industry, OHNs can audit how safe the workplace is by using hazard and health data to create an ongoing system of preventative measures.
They can also utilize information from the on-the-job injuries they see and treat to develop a program teaching employees how to do their jobs more safely and efficiently.
Rehabilitation Therapy
When employees do get injured on the job or become ill due to their work environment, it is often the responsibility of a travel occupational health nurse to treat them. This includes providing rehab therapy and dispensing medications as needed.
Running an efficient Managed Rehabilitative Care (MRC) program means that ill or injured employees can return to their jobs as soon as they are medically fit to do so, which helps companies run more smoothly.
Injury Case Management
Occupational health nurses may act as case managers for both work-related and non-work-related employee illnesses and injuries. These may include cases within the areas of:
- Short-term disability
- Long-term disability
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); and
- Worker’s compensation
A travel OHN may have to jump into one of these cases mid-stream, making it important to keep paperwork organized and have a system to ensure that employees receive the care and benefits they deserve.
Crisis Intervention and Counseling
Since occupational health travel nurses are focused on helping employees have the best work environment possible, sometimes that means helping them deal with mental health issues, psychosocial needs, or substance abuse issues.
Travel OHNs may work in tandem with psychologists to provide the best counseling and interventions possible.
FAQs About Occupational Health Travel Nursing
How Much Money Do Travel Occupational Health Nurses Make?
According to ZipRecruiter, occupational health nurses make an average salary of $86,380 per year. Of course, this is dependent on factors such as:
- Experience
- Education level
- Certifications
- Location
- Etc.
As a travel OHN, you may be able to make more than the base salary of a staff occupational health nurse, especially when you factor in things like housing stipends, travel allowances, bonuses, and more.
What Are the Requirements To Become an Occupational Health Travel Nurse?
Those who wish to become an occupational health travel nurse generally follow these steps:
- Become a registered nurse by completing the required degree (either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree) and passing the NCLEX.
- Gain experience as a registered nurse. Nurses entering the field of occupational health generally have a background in community health, emergency nursing, critical care, or ambulatory care. Also, remember that most travel nursing agencies require their nurses to have at least one or two years of experience as an RN before they begin to travel.
- Further your education. Many OHNs seek out a master’s degree in areas such as business, public health, or advanced practice to build their professional competencies. While certifications such as Basic Life Support are a minimum requirement, OHNs may also want to seek certifications in environmental and occupational health.
- Find the right travel nursing company. Trusted Nurse Staffing is an award-winning agency with a proven track record of helping nurses and facilities find the right fit. But don’t just take our word for it. Do your research and read what other nurses just like you have to say about their TNS experience.
Where Do Travel Occupational Health Nurses Work?
Travel occupational health nurses may work in a variety of settings, including:
- Hospitals
- Doctor’s offices and clinics
- Colleges and universities
- Government buildings
- Military facilities
- Factories
- And more
Because any industry can benefit from having an OHN on staff, travel occupational health nurses may find themselves working in lots of different environments.
Trusted Nurse Staffing and Pronto Can Help You Find Occupational Health Travel Nursing Opportunities
Does occupational health travel nursing sound like a job you’re interested in? Trusted Nurse Staffing would love to help you find the perfect position and help walk you through the steps of signing your contract.
We’re redefining the healthcare staffing industry by harnessing the power of people and technology to create exceptional experiences for everyone involved. Our Pronto job search allows you to set and save filters that help you find positions you’re interested in.
Working with Trusted Nurse Staffing also means you’re assigned your own dedicated support team consisting of:
- Clinical support
- Payroll staff
- Compliance experts; and
- Ongoing assignment advocacy
On top of all that, we also have some of the most generous pay and benefits packages in the industry, These include:
- Sign-on, completion, and referral bonuses
- License, certification, and CEU reimbursements
- Retirement and insurance plans
- Comprehensive healthcare benefits
Contact Trusted Nurse Staffing today to get started.