The man on the job--a challenge to the sophisticated health team.

Abstract

D o THE TRENDS OF EMPLOYEE HEALTH SERVICES provide the challenge to the occupational health team? Or does the challenge, itself, stimulate the changing trends in the Employee Health Services? Regardless, the occupational health nurse, along with the safety specialist, the hygienist, the physician and the psychologist, increases her skills and aptitudes to meet the rising standards in health care services. Increased emphasis is on the individual man. As the employee's total health, whether the problem be industrial or non-industrial, physical or emotional, relates to his job, it is of interest to the occupational health team. Originally, health services were usually confined to care of industrial illness and injuries and to emergency care for non-occupational illness. More recently the tendency has been toward including certain preventive services and health education in the programs. Today the word "crisis" may conjure up emotions and their potential. Emotional crises and their management by the occupational health nurse are influenced by the climate that prevails. The atmosphere determines the quality of care. But how is this developed? A secure relationship between the nurse and management enables the nurse to exercise her influence toward the foundation of a warm and healthful climate for occupational health services. It is the nurse-management relationship which most directly