The Occupational and Environmental Medicine Fundamentals for Advanced Practice Providers Program was developed as a collaborative education activity by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) NP Section. This program was developed to supplement on-the-job training and provides advanced practice providers online access to a convenient, comprehensive, foundational OEM learning program. It offers employers of new advance practice providers an onboarding opportunity to provide structured, high quality, evidenced based educational OEM material in a virtual format available in one convenient location. Presented by AANP and ACOEM experts in the field, these modules will advance knowledge that can be useful in many settings, including urgent care, primary care, industry-based clinics, employee health, corporate health and more. By completing this foundational OEM program, NPs and other clinicians can increase their understanding of OEM’s many facets, improve their clinical skills and more fully develop the leadership abilities needed to manage the care of the worker.  

The program consists of seven modules, each dealing with a different aspect of occupational health practice for the advanced practice provider. Each module includes between four and six one-hour presentations and support material on essential OEM topics. Upon completion of all seven modules and the full 30 hours of credit, participants will be eligible to receive an AANP Certificate of Advanced Practice Education in Occupational Health. The certificate of academic achievement demonstrates to employers, workers, and peers their commitment as a provider in the OEM field. 

The seven modules, their expected launch dates, amount of CE/CME and cost are included below:

PLEASE NOTE: Completion of this program results in an AANP Certificate of Advanced Practice Education in Occupational Health. It is not a board certification, nor does it grant the ability to sit for a board certification exam. It also does not result in a credential. It was developed with the expressed purpose of providing structured educational OEM material in a virtual format available in one convenient place.  

Release Date: January 31, 2023
Expiration Date: January 31, 2025

Section 1

Occupational Health and the Role of the OEM Clinician

Maria C. Lanzi, MS, MPH, ANP-BC, COHN-S

* I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this presentation.

This is the introductory course that provides a global overview of the many roles and opportunities in Occupational and Environmental Health for advanced practice providers. A brief history of Occupational Health and the evolution of the clinician’s role today is presented with emphasis on knowledge and skills needed to provide evidenced-based leading edge occupational health care for today’s worker.

Objectives:

• Discuss the history of Occupational Health and its impact on the health of workers.
• Define the scope of practice for the advanced practice provider in occupational medicine.
• Summarize the differences between the provision of primary care and occupational health services.

 Section 2

Workplace Standards and Regulations

Michele Damas Smith, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC

* I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this presentation.

Workplace standards and regulations are regulated and necessary in today's workplace. They are often referred to as standard operating procedures (SOP). Written policies and procedures are developed to provide necessary information for the employees and administration to be aware of safety issues, accepted work procedures, and identifying associated risks with workplace tasks or operations.

Objectives:

• Explain the history of worker protection and the creation of OSHA.
• Define regulatory bodies and the standards, recommendations and guidelines that influence practice.
• Discuss some common standards and their requirements.

Section 3

OSHA Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements 

Melanie Hayes, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

* I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this presentation.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 to assure safe and healthful conditions for all workers. This course provides an overview of mandatory OSHA regulatory guidance and standards as well as some other regulatory entities that impact the workplace and a clinician’s practice to ensure a safer workplace.

Objectives:

• List the types of illnesses and injuries that must be recorded.
• Describe what information must be included on the OSHA forms.
• Recognize when and within what time frame, certain outcomes must be reported.

Section 4

Employment and Labor Laws 

Erlinda M. Singarajah, PhD, ANP-C, COHN-S

* I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this presentation.

This course is a critical resource for clinicians to know important employment and labor laws focusing on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), and the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) that are mandatory in the private and public sectors. These laws impact employers and workplaces in all 50 states and certain US territories under federal authority. 

Objectives:

• Apply the components of the Americans with Disability Act to occupational health nurse practitioner practice.
• Describe office policies and procedures that support compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and other privacy standards.

Section 5

Legal and Ethical Issues

Sally Foster-Chang, DNP, APRN-BC, COHN-S

* I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this presentation.

The final course in this section describes the actual and potential legal and ethical risk for occupational health clinicians. Emphasis is on the approach to incorporating federal and state laws, professional standards, and guidelines. Clinicians must be acutely aware of the legal environment in which they practice and how to respond to inquiries. Examples of legal and ethical issues will be presented with emphasis on the fundamental values of the occupational clinician’s code of ethics.

Objectives:

• Explain the role of laws, regulations, standards and guidelines in occupational health practice.
• List legal issues that may arise from hire to retirement.
• Develop a basic understanding of the legal discovery process and how to prepare for a disposition.
• Describe the recommended steps in resolving ethical conflicts.

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 5.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

If you would like to claim credit through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), please print your certificate and submit it to AANP at cecenter@aanp.org.

Individuals who have contributed to this course were carefully selected for their knowledge and experience in the subject area presented. This presentation is informational only and may contain opinions of the authors from their personal experience that do not necessarily express the opinions of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). The activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings. Clinical practice is a constantly changing process and new information becomes available every day. Neither ACOEM nor the contributing individuals can warrant that the material will continue to be accurate, nor do they warrant that the material is completely free of errors upon publication. Attendees and participants should appraise the information presented critically and are encouraged to consult appropriate resources for any product or device mentioned in this program.

The activity is available on-demand, and those who register will receive access automatically. Please be sure that this is the course you wish to purchase as refunds are not permitted after the transaction is complete. Once the purchase has been completed you will be granted access to the online/on-demand activity. If this purchase was made in error, do not access the course. Refund requests must be received in writing within 24 hours of the purchase to educationinfo@acoem.org. Refunds will be issued for duplicate purchases if no progress has been made in the course and will be issued minus an administrative fee of $100.00. Refunds will not be provided for courses that have been accessed and/or started.