Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Injury Nurse

🎯 Role Definition

The Injury Nurse (also billed as Injury Management Nurse, Occupational Health Nurse, or Workers' Compensation Nurse) is an experienced registered nurse who manages workplace-related injuries and illnesses from initial triage through return-to-work. This role blends clinical nursing assessment, case management, regulatory reporting, worker advocacy, and employer coordination to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant outcomes. The Injury Nurse provides clinical care (wound care, musculoskeletal assessment, pain management), coordinates referrals and rehabilitation services, documents medical records in electronic health systems, and drives return-to-work plans while liaising with providers, employers, insurance carriers, and case managers.

Key keywords: Injury Nurse, Occupational Health Nurse, Workers' Compensation, return-to-work, wound care, triage, case management, EMR, OSHA reporting, work restrictions.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Registered Nurse (RN) in Emergency Department, Urgent Care, or Primary Care with 1–3 years of clinical experience
Case Management Nurse or Discharge Planning Nurse transitioning into occupational health
Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN) or Injury Management Nurse trainees

Advancement To:

Senior Injury/Occupational Health Nurse or Lead Clinician
Clinical Case Manager / Workers' Compensation Nurse Case Manager
Occupational Health Manager or Program Director
Risk Management Specialist or Disability/Absence Manager

Lateral Moves:

Field Nurse Consultant or Nurse Case Manager for third-party administrators (TPAs)
Workers’ Compensation Nurse Auditor or Quality Improvement Specialist
Return-to-Work Coordinator or Vocational Rehabilitation Liaison

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct thorough clinical triage and assessment of workplace injuries and occupational illnesses, including history-taking, focused physical exam, pain assessment, neurovascular checks, and determination of immediate treatment needs.
Provide evidence-based wound care, dressing changes, suturing assistance, irrigation, and infection prevention education while documenting procedures and outcomes in the electronic medical record (EMR).
Manage the end-to-end workers’ compensation case workflow: intake, initial assessment, provider referrals, authorization coordination, claim documentation, and communication with claims adjusters and employers.
Develop, implement, and monitor individualized return-to-work plans and work restrictions in collaboration with treating physicians, physical therapists, employers, and human resources to facilitate safe, timely reintegration.
Perform musculoskeletal and ergonomic assessments to identify contributing job factors, recommend work modifications, and collaborate on job safety or task redesign to prevent recurrence.
Coordinate and schedule diagnostic studies (X-ray, MRI, CT, lab work) and specialty referrals (orthopedics, pain management, neurology, hand therapy), following up on results and next-step treatment recommendations.
Facilitate and document telehealth triage and virtual follow-up visits, ensuring clinical appropriateness, privacy compliance, and accurate electronic charting.
Educate injured workers and their supervisors on injury prevention, post-injury care instructions, medication safety, and realistic functional expectations to optimize outcomes and reduce claims duration.
Serve as the clinical liaison between clinicians, case managers, adjusters, legal counsel, and employers to ensure clear, timely exchange of relevant medical information while maintaining HIPAA compliance.
Conduct and document worksite visits and job task analyses to corroborate injury reports, validate work restrictions, and identify reasonable accommodations.
Monitor patient progression, assess rehabilitation needs, and coordinate physical therapy, occupational therapy, vocational rehabilitation, or durable medical equipment services as needed to support recovery.
Prepare and submit OSHA, state-reportable, and employer-specific incident reports according to regulatory timelines and company policy, ensuring accurate coding and clinical justification.
Evaluate medication use, potential side effects, and appropriate work restrictions related to analgesics, narcotics, and other controlled substances; communicate concerns to prescribers and case managers.
Support medical surveillance programs, immunization clinics, and pre-placement screenings, including baseline and follow-up assessments, to maintain workforce health and regulatory compliance.
Perform complex clinical documentation for case files, disability paperwork, functional capacity evaluations (FCE), and independent medical examinations (IME) requests, ensuring audit-ready records.
Lead and participate in multidisciplinary case conferences to review high-risk or complex cases, identify barriers to recovery, and develop coordinated clinical and vocational strategies.
Track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) such as time-to-first-contact, days away from work, claim duration, and return-to-work rates to inform continuous improvement initiatives.
Provide brief, onsite treatment for acute injuries (splinting, wound care, analgesia, immobilization) while coordinating safe transfer to higher level care when indicated.
Advise employers on health and safety best practices following injury trends, recommending targeted prevention programs, training, or ergonomic interventions.
Maintain current knowledge of workers’ compensation regulations, state-specific reporting requirements, and industry standards to ensure compliant clinical practice and employer guidance.
Mentor and train clinic staff, new injury nurses, and allied health personnel on injury protocols, documentation standards, triage algorithms, and patient communication techniques.
Participate in case audits, quality assurance reviews, and peer review processes to maintain high standards of clinical care and documentation integrity.
Manage high-volume caseloads with prioritization based on clinical acuity, regulatory deadlines, and case complexity while escalating urgent issues appropriately.
Administer and interpret standardized functional assessment tools and screening instruments (e.g., Oswestry, QuickDASH) to quantify impairment, measure progress, and support medical decision-making.

Secondary Functions

Contribute to development and periodic review of clinical policies, triage protocols, and injury management pathways to align with current evidence and regulatory changes.
Support employer-facing training sessions on injury prevention, early reporting, first-aid response, and return-to-work processes to reduce future incidents.
Assist in data collection, root-cause analyses, and incident investigations following workplace injuries to identify systemic risk factors and corrective actions.
Participate in community outreach or vendor relationship management for rehabilitation networks, durable medical equipment suppliers, and specialty providers.
Help implement electronic health record optimizations and clinical templates to streamline documentation and improve data capture for analytics.
Provide ad-hoc clinical consultation to HR and safety teams during large-scale incidents, outbreaks, or company-wide safety initiatives.
Act as a subject-matter resource for workers’ compensation audits, case reviews, and external vendor evaluations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Clinical triage and advanced assessment skills for acute musculoskeletal, soft tissue, and minor traumatic injuries, with proficiency in documenting objective findings and clinical reasoning.
Wound care expertise including debridement support knowledge, sterile technique, dressing selection, infection surveillance, and suture/staple removal protocols.
Comprehensive understanding of workers’ compensation processes, claim lifecycles, employer reporting requirements, and familiarity with state-specific WC regulations and OSHA reporting.
Case management skills: development and monitoring of return-to-work plans, coordination of referrals, authorization processes, and multidisciplinary team communication.
Proficiency using Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems (e.g., Epic Occupational Health, Cerner, Meditech) and claims management platforms; strong clinical documentation and coding accuracy.
Experience performing functional capacity screening and interpreting results to translate clinical findings into work restrictions and job task recommendations.
Telehealth assessment and remote-care best practices, including virtual triage, documentation, and patient education workflows.
Knowledge of pharmacology relevant to pain management, interactions with sedating medications, and implications for workplace safety and driving duties.
Familiarity with physical rehabilitation interventions, durable medical equipment prescriptions, and coordination of therapy services.
Ability to prepare and interpret regulatory and legal documentation for claims, IMEs, FCEs, and disability determinations in audit-ready format.

Soft Skills

Clear, professional verbal and written communication tailored to injured workers, family members, employers, and payors.
Strong case coordination and stakeholder management skills: diplomacy with adjusters, treating providers, HR, and third-party vendors.
Critical thinking and clinical judgment to prioritize care, escalate appropriately, and interpret ambiguous or conflicting information.
Empathy and patient advocacy balanced with objective clinical documentation to support fair and efficient claim resolution.
Time management and organizational skills to manage high caseloads while meeting regulatory deadlines and clinical standards.
Problem-solving orientation with the ability to design practical return-to-work solutions and reasonable accommodations.
Cultural competence and sensitivity to diverse workforces, including language barriers and socioeconomic considerations.
Resilience and stress management for working in occasionally high-pressure, emotionally charged injury events.
Negotiation and conflict-resolution skills for mediating between providers, employers, and adjusters to achieve clinically appropriate outcomes.
Continuous improvement mindset with willingness to coach staff, adopt new protocols, and support quality initiatives.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Registered Nurse (RN) license in good standing with the state board of nursing.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred.
Certifications such as Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN/COHN-S), Certified Case Manager (CCM), or Certification in Workers’ Compensation Nursing (if available) are highly desirable.
Additional training in wound care, telehealth best practices, or ergonomics is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Nursing
Occupational/Environmental Health
Public Health
Case Management / Health Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–7 years of clinical nursing experience, with at least 1–3 years in occupational health, urgent care, emergency department, or workers’ compensation case management.

Preferred:

3–5+ years of direct experience managing workplace injuries, workers’ compensation claims, or occupational health programs.
Demonstrated experience working with employer stakeholders, claims adjusters, and rehabilitation providers.
Proven competence with EMR systems, state reporting procedures, and familiarity with OSHA and workers’ compensation regulatory frameworks.