A healthy bottom line

HR Magazine, July, 2005

Promoting the health of your employees can also improve your organization's financial health, according to a recent research study conducted by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN).

Fully 72 percent of survey respondents (which included HR executives, medical directors, and environmental, health and safety professionals) said that keeping their employees healthy is critical to their business success, and occupational health nurses can help.

Occupational health nurses--registered nurses who typically have a baccalaureate degree in nursing and experience in community health, ambulatory care, critical care or emergency nursing--act as gatekeepers for employee health services, providing treatment, follow-up and referrals, as well as emergency care for job-related injuries. They also work with employers on legal and regulatory compliance issues.

Employers interviewed for the study identified some top reasons to make use of occupational health nurses:

* Reduce workers' compensation costs.

* Improve the bottom line.

* Reduce absenteeism.

* Reduce the incidence of injuries or fatalities.

AAOHN President Susan A. Randolph says the new research will help occupational health staff become even more valuable to employers by helping them "better understand what currently concerns employers and help their companies effectively address employee health issues.

"By knowing the executive management team's goals and perspectives, the occupational health staff will ultimately be better equipped to prove their true value and benefit within the workplace," Randolph says.