From Occupational Health Visit To Occupational Health Clinician

Prior to working in occupational health, my only contact with the department was to have my vaccinations checked whenever I was due to start a new job. I was never given a BCG injection as a child, as at the time it was deemed I did not need it. This meant that whenever I applied for a new job, I not only needed to have my previous vaccinations checked but also further tests relating to this. As a patient, I found this incredibly frustrating and it completely put me off working within occupational health.

Instead, during this time I worked in locations such as intensive care, A&E, community nursing and even police custody. As far as I was concerned, the less interaction I had with occupational health, the better. From my limited knowledge, occupational health only dealt with vaccinations, something I had no interest in.

However, about 10 years into my nursing career, I suffered a significant deterioration in my mental health, resulting in an absence lasting a number of months. Prior to this, I felt like I would have enjoyed an extended period of time off work. However, on reflection I can see that the loss of routine, rapport with colleagues and even a loss of identity affected me. At month three I still did not feel well enough to return to work; however, due to financial needs and the possibility of having my sick pay withdrawn, I felt I had no other choice but to return.

This is when I again met occupational health prior to my return. Returning seemed like a mammoth task, with just the thought causing me anxiety. I was also struggling with fatigue and could not picture myself working full-time again; it seemed impossible.

However, with the help of occupational health, I managed to make a full return to work, and I found their input invaluable. Not only did they provide me with reassurance and validation about how I was feeling, but they also made recommendations for adjustments which, with hindsight, I would not have been able to return without. These included a phased return, working from an alternative base, and regular one-to-one support.

This episode of poor health and my return to work afterwards sparked my initial interest in occupational health as an area I would like to work in. It was clear they did a lot more than just vaccinations. I wanted to be able to help people back into work in the same way I was helped, paying it forward, so to speak. However, at the time it seemed an incredibly difficult area to get into. Jobs within the NHS were not being advertised, whilst roles within the private sector were often only looking for people with prior experience.

It took a few months of job hunting. My applications were either rejected outright, or recruiters wouldn’t even bother getting back to me. Whilst this was disheartening, I carried on. Eventually, my persistence paid off, and I found a private occupational health company advertising a role for a vaccination nurse. This was not the role I ultimately wanted, but I saw it as a foot in the door to the area I hoped to work in long term.

I worked in this role before successfully applying for a trainee occupational health advisor role within another company. During this time, I was trained in many aspects of occupational health, including immunisations and vaccinations, DSE assessments, HAVs health surveillance and, of course, absence management.

This job, however, involved a lot of travel, and I had a new baby who I felt I was missing out on spending time with. I therefore applied for a job working from home. This is where I am now, completing absence management referrals, enabling me to support other employees in the same way I was supported all those years ago, whilst also benefiting from the flexibility occupational health provides to work around my family.

To anyone considering a role in occupational health, I would thoroughly recommend it. As with many aspects of nursing, it is very varied, with many opportunities to learn new skills, specialise in different areas and gain additional qualifications. I find that people spend so much of their lives at work, and ensuring they are happy, healthy and safe while there is something I find very rewarding.