An occupational health nurse (OHN) realizes that an injured employee is going to be temporarily disabled. Which of the following actions can the nurse take to avoid the employee having disability syndrome? (Select all that apply.)

Question

a. Analyze the physical requirements necessary for doing specific jobs within the workplace
b. Collaborate with the legal consultant to ensure that the employer cannot be held responsible for the employee's injury
c. Facilitate appropriate equipment or process changes necessary for the employee to be able to engage in temporary work functions
d. Implement and monitor the employee's health to prevent adverse health effects from the injury
e. Negotiate with workers' compensation to gradually decrease benefits to encourage the employee to return to employment as soon as possible
f. Collaborate with the primary care provider to identify potential barriers in the employee's return-to-work process

Answer 1

ANS: A, C, D, F
The behavioral change of the individual to avoid returning to work, even after medical clearance has been granted, is called the disability syndrome. The process of returning an individual to work begins with the onset of injury or illness. The nurse works closely with the primary care provider to monitor the progress of the worker and to identify and eliminate potential barriers in the return-to-work process. The nurse must know the workplace and the physical requirements necessary for the employee to work, perhaps by doing a physical demands analysis of the various jobs. The OHN can facilitate the employee being temporarily assigned less physically demanding work, perhaps on a part-time basis, until full employment can be resumed. Then the nurse would continue to monitor and support the employee to avoid adverse health effects. The nurse would most likely not collaborate with legal consultant or negotiate to try to decrease the employee's workers' compensation benefits.