POSITION DUTIES:

Serves as an Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner/Occupational Health) in a Medical Treatment facility, responsible for managing complex occupational medicine programs and providing quality care in collaboration with providers, industrial hygiene, safety, management personnel, and the workers.

1. Serves as a Nurse Practitioner Occupational Health provider, responsible for providing independent and collaborative specialty, comprehensive and occupational health services, integrating the art and science of occupational and environmental medicine into occupational health practice. Performs Occupational Medicine exams which may include- but are not limited to- pre-employment/in processing evaluations, baseline health exams, periodic occupational medical surveillance, and administrative examinations such as fitness-for-duty, return to work, short- and long-term disability, and disability retirement examinations. Conducts pre-placement evaluations from a standpoint of prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses including the detection of pre-existing conditions that might be aggravated by a particular assignment and determines whether the individual is physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of performing a particular job or assignment with an acceptable degree of efficiency and without endangering their own health and safety or that of their fellow employees. Evaluates individuals with disabilities to determine if they can perform the essential job functions and makes recommendation for reasonable accommodations. Conducts assessment of acute, non-acute and chronic clinical and psychological diagnosis and their impact on various job requirements. Formats a medical surveillance plan in collaboration with occupational and environmental medicine physicians and other sub-specialist. Works with researchers to apply new theories and approaches for medical surveillance of employees who work with unique chemical hazards where no current medical surveillance guidelines exist. Implementation includes major emphasis in the areas of hazard mitigation involving employee health education, worksite assessments, comprehension medical surveillance, and supervisory support. Responsible for evaluating the impact for chronic conditions on work-related duties such as but not limited to, coronary artery disease, endocrine diseases such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and chronic kidney disease. Collaborates with physicians and other team members regarding the employees' management, to include evaluating and revising work-related restrictions or limitations. Performs evaluations and provides medical preparation for employees traveling CONUS and OCONUS, including combat zones. Performs Pre- and Post- Deployment Health Assessments. Performs physical examinations and determination of medical suitability of employees with Commercial Driver’s License requirements. Oversees the technical occupational health aspect of the respirator medical clearance and the Infection Control and Blood-borne Pathogen Programs. Provides for reproductive hazard analysis of the workplace and conducts pregnancy and breastfeeding medical surveillance. Provides additional preventive medicine clinical services to include travel health consultations and assists with morning sick call. Assists with military Readiness Program processing and Demobilization processing to include Flight Medicine.

2. Serves in a leadership position and is recognized as a consultant and role model to other occupational health care professionals both within and outside the organization. Develops and/or conducts in-service education programs for other health care professionals. Serves as advisor/member of clinic, supported organizations or installation committees as needed. Collaborates with industrial hygienist and other allied occupational safety and health personnel regarding employees and health risk management, to include evaluating and revising exposure mitigation plans. Develops, reviews, and appropriately updates policies, protocols, standards of occupational health practice, standard operating procedures and scope of practice regarding occupational health care in collaboration with the multidisciplinary members of the occupational health and safety team. Assures adherence to regulations governing the safeguarding of patient information. Complies with the provisions of security and regulations governing the safeguarding of patient information. Complies with the provisions of security and safety regulations. Assures adherence to budget.

3. Provides occupational health risk management guidance to employees and their supervisors regarding health hazard mitigation in industrial processes and required personal protective equipment and clothing; the medical surveillance requirements, to include laboratory tests or other functional capacity testing; recommendation on workplace restriction to mitigate the exacerbation or acceleration of medical conditions and lifestyles changes to mitigate chronic diseases. Provides counseling to employees and their supervisors for prevention of illness and maintenance of health, in order to assist employees in attaining physical, mental, and social well-being consistent the performance triad. Oversees compliance with the preventive healthcare needs of employees visiting the clinic. Refers high-risk, unstable, or extremely complex patients to their personal physicians and or emergency medicine. Performs emergency care as appropriate.

4. Assists the Program Manager and Occupational Health Physician with monitoring oversight of the work environment by performing worksite visits and by coordination/evaluation of industrial hygiene, environmental science, safety and other surveys and inspections. Participates in making recommendations for improvements/resolutions. Conducts onsite surveys of work areas and obtains first-hand information concerning the nature of various work operations and the potential hazard exposure. Hazards encountered may include chemicals, pesticides, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, noise hazards, eye hazards, biological hazards and other environmental conditions. Reviews the health hazard inventory of each operation and determines specific medical monitoring examination requirements for pre-placement and periodic job-related examinations. Maintains liaison with employees, supervisors and safety personnel. Conducts and/or arranges for ergonomic evaluations of the worksite.

Performs Other Duties As Assigned