Nurses collaborating on the development of a Faculty of Occupational Health Nursing (FOHN) have appointed a leadership team and set the vision, mission and values for the organisation.
The aim is for the FOHN to become “a centre of excellence for occupational health nursing, with particular emphasis on education and standard setting” according to a statement from the project leaders.
FOHN’s vision “is to promote excellence in the education, research and evidence-based practice of all occupational health nurses for the benefit of the working population”.
Its mission is: “To promote, preserve and protect the health of the working population.” And its values are: professionalism; leadership; quality; collaboration; competence; and integrity.
The team of OH advisers leading the work was confirmed in June as: Jo Berriman, project leader; Karen Coomer, deputy leader (also representative of the Society of Occupational Medicine); Dwayne Gillane, treasurer; Christina Butterworth, representative of the Council for Work and Health, member; Susanna Everton, representative of the Association of Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners UK (AOHNP), member; and Jane Fairburn, member.
The announcement said that FOHN would achieve its purpose by:
- creating standards and providing guidance for the education and practice of OH nurses in order to promote and sustain professional excellence and competency;
- the provision of services that enhance confidence, competency and credibility to practice OH effectively and safely;
- the provision of a framework and support for professional and regulatory standards;
- the promotion of national and international research and evidence-based practice for all concerned; and
- engagement at a local, national and international level with all key stakeholders.
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The next goal is to put the organisational structure in place and finalise the strategy and communication plan. A website will be up and running by September, which will provide details of the project.
In June, the AOHNP agreed to invest £8,000 to support the development of the faculty.
