Posting Description

Unity Health Toronto (UHT) comprised of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital, works to advance the health of everyone in our urban communities and beyond. Our health network serves patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care, spanning primary care, secondary community care, tertiary and quaternary care services to post-acute through rehabilitation, palliative care and long-term care, while investing in world-class research and education. Join our team in our mission to continue to put patients and families at the centre of everything we do, in the role of Occupational Health Nurse (OHN).

Workplace Health, Safety and Wellness (WHSW) at Unity Health Toronto works to promote, protect and maintain the health, safety and wellness of workers in a manner consistent with professional practices, organizational values and policies, and government legislation.

Reporting to the Manager, Abilities and Health, WHSW, the OHN will work with a multi-disciplinary team to provide care to healthcare workers and to promote a culture of safety at Unit Health Toronto – across all three sites with a primary office at our St. Joseph’s site.

The OHN in WHSW works within a dynamic environment and in inter-professional teams to advocate for and promote wellness while ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and ethical nursing care. The OHN also provides case management and integrated disability management services for cases of occupational and non-occupational illness or injury of short duration including return to work. The OHN shares his/her/their knowledge and expertise with others and contributes to the advancement of nursing practice excellence. The OHN continually enhances his/her/their practice and competencies through ongoing learning, education, experience and reflective practice.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The primary role of the OHN is to provide holistic, evidence-based, culturally appropriate, client-centred quality care in accordance with the College of Nurses of Ontario standards and UHT’s mission, vision, values and policies. The OHN optimizes the client’s experience and care outcomes by:

• Being accountable for one’s decisions and professional practice;
• Establishing a therapeutic relationship with the patient;
• Collaborating with other members of the inter-professional-team; and,
• Coordinating and communicating client care activities.

The OHN has 4 key areas of responsibility:

Client Care:

• Conduct health assessments (pre- employment) to evaluate immunization and TB status for staff, overall health status, musculoskeletal health, and provide an overview of WHSW policies (e.g. absence reporting). Provide immunization of staff for all adult immunizations including annual influenza vaccination and adult boosters, provide first aid.
• Administer TB testing (sub-cutaneous injection) and reading (new hire and ongoing surveillance when it is required)
• Perform workplace incident intake and initiate incident investigations - for example interview, assess and counsel staff who have been exposed to a hazard in the workplace; including: needle stick injuries, post HIV exposure, post Hepatitis B exposure, latex sensitivity, monitoring for tuberculosis, over-exertion, etc.
• Provide counseling to employees for a variety of issues, for example substance abuse, and referral to the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
• Assess staff fitness to return to work related to communicable diseases
• Assess a staff’s ability to perform regular duties
• Develops a plan of care and integrates nursing activities with other inter-professional activities with the WHSW inter-disciplinary team and other stakeholders, as appropriate
• Engages in critical inquiry and reflection to select evidence-based interventions
• Organizes nursing care and assigns or changes nursing care activities where appropriate
• Perform basic nursing skills (e.g. taking vitals, taking blood, giving injections, performing hand hygiene, charting (electronic and paper Parklane)
• Anticipates, recognizes and addresses rapidly changing situations
• Provides health and safety education to clients using effective teaching strategies
• Documents observations, assessments, and care provision and the care plan
• Refers clients to other agencies or services, as needed

Collaboration & Coordination

• Manage and coordinate surveillance activities (responding to communicable disease exposures and outbreaks) including after-hours urgent response to outbreaks and time sensitive/high-risk exposures.
• Surveillance include assisting in identifying all healthcare workers involved, assessing
• Susceptibility /exposure criteria, ensuring prophylaxis or treatment modalities are made available in accordance with the OMA/OHA communicable disease protocols and hospital policy
• Coordinate with managers to offer temporary modified work to injured or ill workers
• Provide information and support to the health care community related to medical and/or treatment management issues and return to work; and facilitate effective health care management by encouraging discussion between treating professionals
• Establishes and maintains respectful, collaborative, therapeutic and inter-professional relationships
• Coordinates and communicates client care activities for a safe and seamless transition and appropriate transfer of accountability
• Participates in hospital committees and other groups

Leadership

• Aligns behavior with UHT’s vision, mission and values and Code of Conduct
• Supports the advancement of professional practice
• Engages in self-reflection, performance review and ongoing learning
• Participates in mentoring, teaching and /or coaching students, co-workers and other regulated and unregulated health professionals
• Embraces change that leads to improved nursing practice, departmental procedures and better client outcomes
• Develop, promote and maintain effective relations with a variety of stakeholders including: all workplace parties and health care professionals with a diverse cultural population
• Participate in policy and procedure development
• Advocates for a safe and healthy work environment
• Research Continuous Quality Improvement
• Supports and participates in evidence based practice implementation and quality improvement initiatives
• Perform for data entry, generating reports and analysis

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must have Current General Class (Practicing) Registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario

• BLS Certification

• Certification as an Occupational Health Nurse COHN © or equivalent is required

• Certificate or diploma in occupational health and safety management is required

• Must have minimum of 2 years of occupational health nursing experience including demonstrated experience in managing both non-occupational and occupational claims in a unionized health care environment or equivalent is required

• Ability to work collaboratively with other professions / disciplines in a team environment

• Excellent at multi-tasking, priority setting, critical thinking, decision making/problem solving skills

• Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.), including database knowledge (Parklane)

• Excellent communication skills Proven planning, time management, organization and coordination skills

Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier-free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process. When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity.

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