Employee health nurse counselor roles in the hospital setting

Hospitals have diverse employee populations and environmental hazards such as bloodborne pathogens, chemicals, gases, radiation, chemotherapeutics, and heavy/repetitive lifting which require a situation specific approach in counseling and assessment. A major frustration in hospital employee health practice is insufficient staffing. Hospital worksites have excellent staff resources to channel employees and facilitate counseling and health teaching when EHS staff are limited. EAPs in hospitals are logical extensions of the employee health service either as direct providers of the service or as referral sources.