Occupations and Terms of Reference › Occupational health nurse (staff)
Universal terms of reference · POS-170 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Occupational health nurse (staff)
To look after the health of staff, so that people can work safely, get help when they are ill or injured, and return to work as soon as is safe.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You look after staff health. You carry out entry health checks and immunity records, support staff after injury or exposure, advise on fitness for work, and help people return to work safely.
Reports to: HR manager.
Leads or supervises: No direct reports.
What you do on a typical day
- Review entry health and immunity records.
- Support staff after injury or exposure.
- Advise on fitness for work.
- Support return-to-work plans.
- Keep occupational health records confidential.
Working conditions and demands
- Handles highly sensitive health information.
- Must keep staff health separate from managerial decisions.
- Often sees staff who are unwell or distressed.
What good looks like
- Staff health records are complete.
- Exposures are followed up promptly.
- People return to work safely.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Public money and patient payments are handled with integrity and recorded fully.
- Staff are treated fairly, consistently and with respect.
- Confidential information about people and finances is protected at all times.
- Controls exist to prevent error and fraud, and are followed by everyone.
- Concerns about money or conduct are raised and investigated without reprisal.
- Decisions are recorded so that anyone can see why they were made.
- Every role has a clear procedure, and deviations are reported and corrected.
- Support teams are judged by how well they help clinical services deliver safe care.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-170 |
| ISCO-08 | 2221 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Human resources |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Transport, Medevac, Fitness, Aesthetic |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-163. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| HR manager | Fitness to work and sickness absence. |
| Occupational health and safety officer | Exposures and workplace hazards. |
| Infection prevention and control (IPC) lead | Immunity and exposure follow-up. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry checks | Makes sure entry health and immunity records are complete. | 100% of starters have records | Monthly | C-01 | T-05 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Exposures | Follows up staff exposures and injuries promptly. | Follow-up started same day | As needed | C-02 | T-05 | POL-INC · POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Return to work | Supports safe return to work after illness or injury. | Return-to-work plans agreed | Monthly | C-01 | T-08 | POL-EQUAL | 2 |
| Confidentiality | Keeps staff health records confidential. | Access audit passed | Quarterly | C-03 | T-04 | POL-DATA | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Clinical advice on fitness for work | Health risks that prevent a person working (HR manager and occupational physician) |
| Immunity follow-up within national rules | Health concerns that may affect patient safety (HR manager and CQO) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Registered nurse licence, current | Yes | per regulator |
| Q-02 | Occupational health nursing certificate | Yes | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Clinical nursing experience, ideally with occupational health or infection risk | 3 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | C-03 |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | C-01 · C-02 |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | – |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | – |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-01 | Immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases relevant to the setting, documented at entry | At entry or as set | essential | Documented hepatitis B status at entry |
| H-02 | Tuberculosis screening at entry, then as the national rule requires | At entry or as set | essential | Symptom screening at entry and after exposure |
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Occupational health assessment | Records health checks | Assesses fitness for work | Designs staff health programmes | Health audit | Every 12 months | T-05 |
| C-02 | Exposure and injury follow-up | Records exposures | Follows up exposures | Designs exposure response | Exposure audit | Every 12 months | T-05 |
| C-03 | Confidentiality of health data | Protects health records | Manages confidential data safely | Designs confidentiality standards | Records audit | Every 12 months | T-04 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Starters with complete health records | 100% | health records | Monthly |
| PI-02 | Exposures followed up same day | 100% | exposure log | As needed |
| PI-03 | Return-to-work plans agreed | set by facility | return-to-work records | Monthly |
| PI-04 | Access audit passed | 100% | access audit | Quarterly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Occupational health nurse (staff) | 3 years (recommended) | Q-01, Q-02 | C-01 practitioner, C-03 practitioner | T-05 · T-04 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |