Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Occupational Nurse

🎯 Role Definition

As an Occupational Nurse (Occupational Health Nurse), you will provide clinical and preventative healthcare services to employees across one or multiple worksites, manage work-related injuries and illnesses, support return-to-work and case management programs, and ensure compliance with regulatory and corporate health standards. You will serve as a clinical resource for supervisors and employees, coordinate with safety and human resources teams, and lead health promotion and medical surveillance initiatives that reduce workplace risk and improve employee well-being.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Staff Registered Nurse (RN) with acute care or clinic experience who transitions into occupational health or corporate health programs.
Public health nurse or community health nurse moving into workplace health management.
Safety coordinator or HR professional with nursing qualifications and interest in occupational medicine.

Advancement To:

Senior Occupational Health Nurse / Lead Occupational Nurse
Occupational Health Manager / Clinic Manager
Case Management Program Lead or Workers' Compensation Nurse Specialist
Director of Occupational Health & Wellness / Corporate Health Director

Lateral Moves:

Workers' Compensation Case Manager
Health & Safety Specialist / Environmental Health Technician
Employee Wellness Program Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Triage, assess, and provide clinical care for work-related injuries and acute illnesses on-site or by telephone, including wound care, splinting, suturing support, and coordination of emergency services when needed.
Manage workers' compensation cases from initial injury report through medical treatment, return-to-work planning, and case closure; maintain accurate documentation to support claims and appeals.
Conduct pre-employment and post-offer health screenings, including vision, hearing, physical assessments, and job-specific functional capacity evaluations to determine fitness for duty.
Administer and document immunizations, TB testing, respiratory fit testing, and other preventive health measures in accordance with employer protocols and public health guidelines.
Implement and manage medical surveillance programs (e.g., chemical exposure, noise, respirator programs), performing screening, tracking exposures, and coordinating follow-up care and reporting.
Develop, review, and update site-specific occupational health protocols, emergency response plans, and clinical policies to ensure compliance with OSHA, DOT, CDC, and local regulations.
Provide clinical case management and care coordination for employees with chronic conditions, facilitating specialty referrals, medical follow-up, and workplace accommodations to support sustained employment.
Perform ergonomic assessments and recommend engineering or administrative controls to reduce injury risk; collaborate with safety and operations teams to implement corrective actions.
Lead return-to-work and transitional duty programs by interpreting medical restrictions, negotiating reasonable accommodations, and creating phased re-entry plans between clinical teams and managers.
Conduct health risk assessments, wellness screenings, biometric testing, and health coaching to improve employee health outcomes and reduce workplace absenteeism and presenteeism.
Maintain accurate, confidential medical records and documentation in electronic medical record (EMR) systems, ensuring HIPAA compliance and timely record retrieval for audits or legal processes.
Provide education and training to employees and supervisors on first aid, CPR/AED, infection control, bloodborne pathogens, and site-specific health topics to promote a culture of safety and prevention.
Coordinate referrals to external healthcare providers, urgent care centers, or specialists; track outcomes and follow up on treatment plans to ensure continuity of care.
Monitor and report occupational injury/illness trends and prepare regular reports and metrics (e.g., incident rates, lost-time events) to inform leadership and safety initiatives.
Lead workplace infectious disease response activities, including exposure investigations, contact tracing support, isolation/quarantine guidance, and vaccination campaigns.
Participate in occupational health audits and inspections, responding to corrective actions, and supporting compliance remediation related to clinical practices and documentation.
Counsel employees on substance abuse policies, facilitate DOT or non-DOT drug/alcohol testing programs, and coordinate follow-up for positive screens and return-to-duty processes.
Support mental health initiatives by identifying signs of stress, burnout, or behavioral health issues; provide initial assessment, crisis intervention, and referrals to employee assistance programs (EAP) or mental health providers.
Review and interpret medical records, laboratory results, and diagnostic testing to provide recommendations regarding work restrictions, accommodations, or fitness-for-duty determinations.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams—occupational physicians, safety managers, HR, industrial hygienists, and legal counsel—to resolve complex medical and workplace safety issues.
Serve as the primary clinical liaison for contractor and vendor medical compliance, ensuring third-party providers meet corporate health standards and credentialing requirements.
Manage clinical supplies, medications, and point-of-care testing (e.g., glucose, urine dip, rapid flu tests) inventory; ensure appropriate storage, control, and expiration tracking.
Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by evaluating occupational health program effectiveness, participating in quality assurance reviews, and implementing evidence-based practice changes.

Secondary Functions

Support health program analytics by collecting clinical metrics and participating in data-driven initiatives to reduce injuries and healthcare costs.
Assist with budgeting and procurement for occupational clinic supplies, vaccines, and testing kits, ensuring cost-effective resource management.
Participate in health and safety committee meetings, providing clinical insight and recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders.
Support onboarding processes by providing medical clearance information and counseling to new hires regarding health requirements and workplace risks.
Help maintain credentialing and continuing education tracking for clinical staff; coordinate training schedules and compliance documentation.
Act as backup for telemedicine triage or virtual occupational health services when onsite coverage is unavailable.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in current state(s) of practice and active license in good standing.
Clinical assessment and triage skills for acute and occupational injuries, including wound care, suturing support, and splinting.
Workers' compensation case management and familiarity with claim lifecycle, case documentation, and legal/insurance interfaces.
Proficiency in occupational health screenings: pre-employment physicals, pulmonary function testing, audiometry, fit-testing, and immunization administration.
Medical surveillance program design and execution, including exposure monitoring, recordkeeping, and regulatory reporting.
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) documentation skills and experience with clinical software, data entry, and secure medical record management.
Knowledge of OSHA, DOT, CDC, HIPAA, and state-specific occupational health regulations and the ability to apply them operationally.
Return-to-work planning and functional capacity evaluation interpretation, including job accommodation recommendations and transitional work design.
Basic laboratory and point-of-care testing skills (e.g., phlebotomy, rapid antigen testing, urine drug screens) and chain-of-custody procedures.
Ergonomic assessment techniques and ability to recommend corrective actions to reduce musculoskeletal injury risk.
CPR/BLS certification and trauma/emergency response experience in an occupational setting.
Experience coordinating care with occupational physicians, specialists, and external medical providers.
Familiarity with workplace wellness programming, health coaching, and chronic disease management interventions.
Documentation and reporting of incident rates, lost-time metrics, and health surveillance statistics for leadership review.

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interacting with employees, managers, clinicians, and external providers.
Strong clinical judgment and decision-making under pressure when triaging injuries and determining next steps.
Empathy and culturally competent patient-centered care that respects confidentiality and diverse employee needs.
Problem solving and critical thinking to design return-to-work plans and negotiate accommodations.
Attention to detail for accurate documentation, compliance, and follow-up.
Time management and prioritization in high-volume or multi-site occupational health environments.
Collaboration and teamwork to partner effectively with safety, HR, and operations teams.
Conflict resolution and negotiation when balancing business needs with medical restrictions.
Initiative and continuous improvement mindset to streamline clinic operations and improve health outcomes.
Professionalism and ethical conduct in handling sensitive medical and legal issues.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Registered Nurse (RN) diploma or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) with active RN license.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Certifications such as COHN (Certified Occupational Health Nurse), COHN-S (Certified Occupational Health Nurse–Specialist), CCM (Certified Case Manager), or an occupational health certificate.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Nursing
Occupational Health Nursing
Public Health
Environmental Health
Emergency Nursing / Trauma Nursing (relevant clinical experience)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5+ years as a Registered Nurse, with 1–3 years of direct occupational health, corporate health clinic, emergency, urgent care, or workers' compensation experience preferred.

Preferred:

3–5 years of occupational health nursing or related clinical experience.
Demonstrated experience managing workers' compensation cases, administering medical surveillance programs, and coordinating return-to-work plans.
Prior experience in multi-site program management, occupational health EMR systems, or industry-specific health programs (manufacturing, oil & gas, utilities, healthcare, transportation).