Employee Health Registered Nurse

Employee Health Registered Nurse

The Employee Health Registered Nurse provides and coordinates occupational health services for employees and other covered workforce members. The RN promotes a safe and healthy workforce through pre-placement and periodic health screening, immunization, communicable disease and exposure management, work-related injury and illness follow-up, respiratory protection activities, education, surveillance, and confidential record management. The RN reports administratively to the Director of CR-RISQ and practices under applicable law, organizational policy, and physician-approved standing orders and clinical protocols.

Duties:

• Provides evidence-based occupational health nursing services within RN scope of practice, organizational policy, and physician-approved protocols; promptly escalates findings or decisions that require diagnosis, prescribing, medical clearance, or physician judgment.
• Coordinates with the medical director or designated physician to maintain standing orders, clinical pathways, referral criteria, and timely consultation for complex or urgent cases.
• Completes post-offer, pre-placement, transfer, and periodic health assessments that are job-related and consistent with policy, including review of immunization, tuberculosis, and other occupational health requirements.
• Assesses immunization status and administers or coordinates vaccines and testing in accordance with current CDC and ACIP recommendations, applicable requirements, informed consent, and physician-approved orders; documents contraindications, declinations, and follow-up needs.
• Provides immediate nursing assessment and coordinates time-sensitive post-exposure evaluation after needlesticks, sharps injuries, blood or body-fluid exposures, and other potentially infectious exposures, including source-patient processes, baseline testing, referral for post-exposure prophylaxis, counseling, and follow-up under the exposure-control plan.
• Evaluates and manages reported communicable-disease exposures and illnesses among healthcare personnel in collaboration with Infection Prevention and the physician; applies current guidance and organizational protocols for testing, monitoring, work restriction, and return to work.
• Provides first-line nursing assessment and case coordination for work-related injuries and illnesses; initiates appropriate first aid, referral, documentation, follow-up, and workers' compensation communication without exceeding RN scope or making claim determinations.
• Coordinates work-status and fitness-for-duty processes. Communicates only necessary functional limitations or restrictions to authorized leaders and Human Resources, based on provider or qualified clinician documentation; does not make employment or accommodation decisions.
• Supports the respiratory protection program by maintaining confidential medical-evaluation information, confirming clearance before required use or fit testing, conducting or coordinating fit testing when trained and assigned, and referring concerns to the physician or other qualified PLHCP.
• Maintains complete, accurate, timely, and confidential employee health records in systems separate from general personnel records, with access and disclosure limited to authorized purposes and retention consistent with applicable requirements and policy.
• Maintains required logs, rosters, reminders, and follow-up systems for immunizations, screening, exposures, injuries, respiratory protection, and other occupational-health requirements; monitors overdue items and communicates compliance status without disclosing unnecessary medical information.
• Collects and analyzes aggregate, non-identifiable occupational-health data to identify trends, hazards, and improvement opportunities; reports meaningful measures to the Director of CR-RISQ and appropriate committees.
• Collaborates with CR-RISQ, Human Resources, Laboratory, Pharmacy, department leaders, and other partners on exposure-control plans, hazard assessments, outbreak response, emergency preparedness, and workforce health initiatives.
• Develops and provides workforce education on bloodborne pathogens, exposure reporting, communicable disease prevention, immunization, respiratory protection, and other occupational health topics within assigned responsibility.
• Participates in review and improvement of employee-health policies, procedures, forms, workflows, and emergency response processes using current regulatory and clinical guidance.
• Recognizes urgent or life-threatening conditions, initiates emergency response and basic life support within training, and arranges prompt transfer for medical evaluation when indicated.
• Uses supplies, vaccines, medications, tests, and equipment safely; maintains required storage, temperature monitoring, infection-control practices, quality checks, and inventory controls.
• Maintains professional competence through continuing education and review of current occupational health, infection-prevention, regulatory, and nursing guidance; seeks consultation when a matter exceeds knowledge, authority, or scope.
• Performs other related duties within licensure, competency, and organizational policy as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Education: Associate degree in nursing from an accredited nursing program.

Skills: Occupational health assessment and triage; exposure and communicable-disease follow-up; immunization and medication administration; confidential documentation; case coordination; staff education; data tracking and basic trend analysis; sound clinical judgment; clear written and verbal communication; ability to work independently and collaborate across departments.

Working knowledge of CDC guidance, OSHA healthcare standards, infection prevention, and employee medical-record confidentiality.

Years of Experience: Three years of professional RN experience in a clinical setting.

License: Current, unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse in the State of Michigan.

Certification: Current Basic Life Support certification. Must complete organization-required competency validation for assigned testing, immunization, exposure-management, and respiratory-protection duties.

Physical Requirements: Ability to perform nursing assessment and clinical procedures; communicate in person, by telephone, and electronically; use a computer for sustained periods; and move throughout the facility. Must be able to stand, walk, bend, reach, and use fine motor skills; occasionally lift or carry up to 25 pounds; and wear required respiratory and other protective equipment. Reasonable accommodations will be considered in accordance with applicable law.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Skills: Experience with occupational-health software, electronic employee health records, quality improvement, policy development, and healthcare regulatory readiness.

Years of Experience: Two years in employee health, occupational health, infection prevention, emergency nursing, ambulatory care, case management, or a closely related setting.

License: N/A

Certification: Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN) or Certified Occupational Health Nurse-Specialist (COHN-S).

Personal Protective Equipment: Uses gloves, gowns, eye and face protection, surgical masks, fit-tested respirators, and other PPE based on anticipated exposure and organizational policy.

Physical Demands: Work includes office and clinical activity with potential exposure to blood, body fluids, infectious diseases, sharps, cleaning products, and other healthcare hazards. Requires frequent sitting and keyboard use; intermittent standing and walking; and occasional bending, reaching, lifting, and carrying. May require response to urgent occupational exposures during established coverage hours.