Occupational health nurses can increase their status with communication
How should OHNs improve their communication skills? Christina Butterworth, Jo Henderson and Caroline Minshell explain.
On this page:
National strategic communication
Professional communication
Key personal skills
OHNs strengths.
Here, we look at three key areas that could have a significant impact on the profile of occupational health (OH) nursing: strategic communication at a national level, communication at a professional level, and operational communication at an organisational level.
National strategic communication
There has never been a greater opportunity to raise the profile of workplace health and OH nursing since the Black report was published in March 2008, but have we as occupational health nurses (OHNs) been visible?
There has been good coverage in Occupational Health and some other publications and at conferences from the ‘usual suspects’ in OH nursing, but it has not been structured, balanced, persistent or widespread. To this, and the age-old problem of nurses being passive, negative, protective and emotional, a communication strategy is required now.
The strategy needs to be developed by a core team as early as possible, and then promoted until the goal is reached and the objectives are embedded. OH nursing is fortunate to have a group of professional networks who can form this core team, with individual OHNs supporting, challenging and advising them.
A clear vision has been lacking in OH nursing in the past, with conflicting views on where to go next. The vision needs to be both compelling and purposeful, to ensure the necessary energy to sustain the team throughout the journey.
The goal needs to move stakeholders from awareness to action, and the objectives need to be factual and based on the power of three: clear, concise and easily remembered. It should be based on factual evidence to ensure the message does not become emotionally charged.
Professional communication
To gain an insight into professional communication in OH nursing in the UK, OHNs need to answer a few challenging questions. The views expressed here were pooled from nurses involved in government stakeholder groups and OH forums.
The profile of OH nursing is good, but what stops it from being excellent? There is no doubt that nurses can communicate, as this is an important part of patient care. In addition, OHNs have learned wider communication skills as their roles require them to articulate complex individual and organisational information.
However, the profile of nurses and OHNs in particular can be improved if we recognise that communication should seek to achieve excellence in delivery and outcomes. Issues to highlight include: the poor portrayal of nurses by the media; varying standards, with some OH services not being risk-based or proactive; the OH ego alienating us from allied professions and senior directors; the need to understand the objectives of the government and other stakeholders; and the need for a united political front and to share good practice.
Clarity around the vision and objectives of OH nursing will ensure that nurses will be the first port of call for any government stakeholder consultation or new initiative. However, it appears that OHNs might be distracted by politics within the OH nursing community, both in terms of leadership and focus. OHNs need to accept the diversity that exists and concentrate on lobbying government and professional bodies.
“Use statistics, set objectives, then present positively,” says Cynthia Atwell, chair of the Royal College of Nursing’s Society of Occupational Health Nursing.
Key personal skills
One of the key areas that OHNs should influence is securing resources for skills development, whether for training, reflective practice, research, professional coaching or building confidence, self-esteem and credibility. Skills needed include: political leadership, presentation skills, public speaking, assertiveness skills, and business and report writing.
Professional networks can be used to review any written work and ensure that the content is evidence-based, presented professionally, reasonable when arguing a point, positive, and delivers sound recommendations.
Nurse educator Jan Maw says: “We need to be proud of the real difference that OH can make to organisations,” and OH adviser Mary McFadzean urges nurses to offer “more response to the Black report – we aren’t scary enough”.
OH health nurses have a unique advocate role in terms of supporting the working population and advising employers, and day-to-day experiences that enhance professional competence and business acumen. However, there is diversity of practice and often a focus on routine work, requests from management and data gathering.
Chair of the Royal College of Nursing’s Occupational Health Managers Forum Helen Kirk says: “OHNs are an articulate and select group with a high proportion of potential leaders, as compared to other nursing groups.”
The challenge now is to raise awareness of this through individual case outcomes, and to educate other stakeholders on the role and responsibility of the OH nurse, and how they can give knowledge and support to the business in terms of risk-identification and control, and promotion of health and wellbeing.
