Preventing occupational illness and injury: nurse practitioners as primary care providers

Nurse practitioners with master's degrees were surveyed to assess the type and volume of occupational health services provided by primary care as compared with occupational health practitioners and the knowledge base in occupational health in these two groups. Thirty-six percent of 224 nonoccupational health nurse practitioners reported caseloads with 10% or more occupationally related chief complaints; 21% reported treating work-related injury or illness at least once per week. By contrast, a large percentage of nonoccupational health practitioners failed the knowledge-based exam. Large-scale prevention of occupational illness and injury warrants that primary care providers receive training in occupational health.