Occupational Health Nurses are Primary Health Care providers that work in the workplace community
setting providing specialized nursing services to maintain and improve the health of their workers.
Primary Health Care (PHC) by definition
" is the first level of contact of individuals, the family and community with the national health
care system, bringing care as close as possible to where people live and work and constitutes the first
element of a continuing health care process".(Primary Health Care, 1978) and
".health is created and lived by people within settings of their everyday life: where they learn, work,
and play" (Hirschfeld & Holleran 1992).
Vision Statement
Occupational Health Nurses are dedicated to excellence in ethical practice, life long learning, and
fulfilling the standards of the specialized practice of occupational and environmental health and safety
in nursing care for our clients, the employees and the employers in the workplace community.
Occupational Health Nurses recognize the need to establish interdisciplinary alliances with nursing colleagues and health care professionals to ensure quality health care systems for everyone.
OHNIG GOALS
To be the voice within RNAO for the specialty practice of Occupational Health Nursing
To raise the awareness of Occupational Health Nursing Scope of Practice and Occupational Health Nurse
Standards
To collaborate with other RNAO nursing interest groups in developing Best Practice Guidelines based on best
available evidence.
To influence the development of the field of occupational health nursing as a career choice for nurses
To contribute to a high quality of care based on the primary health care principles for the people of
Ontario by supporting RNAO policy of excellence in nursing
To support, recognize, network, lead and participate in political action, as well as public education
opportunities to enhance the public's awareness of the nursing profession
To provide membership in the Canadian Nurses Association for occupational health nurses in Ontario.
To begin to understand the dynamic field and career opportunities in the specialized field of
Occupational Health Nursing click here to visit the Ontario Occupational Health Nurse Interest Group
(OHNIG) section of the Registered Nurses' Associstion of Ontario website.
Membership Drive!
