Occupational Health Nurses
Overview
Introduction
Occupational health nurses are registered nurses who care for people in the workplace. Although they treat illnesses, injuries, and health problems, they are also involved with safety and health issues and prevention programs. An occupational health nurse may be an employee of a business, institution, or corporation or may be self-employed on a contract or freelance basis. Some nurses may be a part of a team or company that provides occupational health services on a retainer or contract basis.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Occupational health nurses earned an average salary of $71,833 in April 2020, as reported by PayScale.com. According to the Department of Labor, registered nurses earned a median salary of $73,300 in 2019. Salaries ranged from less than $52,080 for the lowest paid 10 percent to more than $111,220 a year for the top paid 10 percent. Members with any level of certification could earn sig...
Work Environment
Occupational health nurses work in a variety of environments—from clean, healthy, well-lighted buildings to dusty, dirty, fume-filled manufacturing and mining facilities. Some nurses may have to spend time in hot plants analyzing safety and environmental aspects of the workplace.
All nursing careers have some health and disease risks; however, adherence to health and safety guidelines gr...
Outlook
Nursing specialties will be in great demand in the future. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment for registered nurses is expected to increase much faster than average through 2028.
More and more companies are realizing the value of healthy and happy employees who work in safe, environmentally conscious workplaces. While these views support the need for companies to hire ...