- knowledge of medicine and nursing
- sensitivity and understanding
- a desire to help people
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with others
- thinking and reasoning skills
- knowledge of psychology
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
As part of your day-to-day duties, you may :
- carry out pre-employment medical checks
- assess and treat employees who are injured or become ill at work
- provide counselling and support
- give advice on health education, health and safety and sickness absence
- carry out risk assessments
- manage employee health records and statistics
- develop and managing emergency procedures
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in an NHS or private hospital or at a client's business.
Your working environment may be physically demanding.
With experience, you could move into a management position, leading a team of occupational health staff or running an occupational health centre.
You could become a self-employed occupational health consultant, work for a private company or take extra qualifications and go into nurse training.
You can find out more about occupational health nursing from Health Careers.