Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

WellbeingOccupational Health

OHNs face up to patient duty

by Personnel Today 1 Sep 2005
by Personnel Today 1 Sep 2005

Keynote speaker Paul Martin, chief nursing officer for Scotland, was embroiled in a heated debate over the difficulties many OHNs face in pursuing CPD, training and research.

Martin said there are four key objectives for nurses:



  • Not to lose sight of ‘why we are here’
  • To ensure access to training and development
  • To ensure nurses engage in research, development and policy
  • To ensure nurses recognise their leadership responsibilities.

If we get it right in terms of quality patient care, he said, we get it right for nurses.

However, when questioned by delegates on why there is little or no funding to help nurses in research or training, he responded by saying it is for individual nurses to pursue their own training needs and fund these themselves if necessary.

Some delegates agreed with this line of thinking, but a number felt that the lack of funding to help to encourage more research and learning by OH nurses ran contrary to his professed aims.

During his talk, Martin touched on other issues such as clinical competence, the state of Scottish workers’ health and the growth of sickness absence figures.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

He said that by doing the job they do, OH practitioners contribute to the economy, and asked whether delegates were contributing to a well-being agenda which shifts from the dependence on care of the sick to a culture that promotes self care and healthy working.

Martin has created a policy forum for nurses that focuses on policy development and its implementation that links across Scotland. When questioned, he admitted that there are currently no OH nurses on the forum but told delegates that it was up to OHNs to get involved.


Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Prepare for new internet use laws
next post
Asda HR chief calm about union recruitment drive

You may also like

‘Frustrating’ that NHS Plan has overlooked OH, warns...

8 Jul 2025

Four in 10 call centre workers to quit...

8 Jul 2025

Third in north west fear ill health will...

2 Jul 2025

Welfare cuts would ‘undermine workforce inclusion and business...

27 Jun 2025

Supporting employees through substance abuse

24 Jun 2025

One in four young workers rate mental health...

17 Jun 2025

CIPD Festival of Work: ‘Wellbeing is not an...

11 Jun 2025

How employers can support cancer carers better

11 Jun 2025

Two-thirds of workers still struggling to access GPs...

10 Jun 2025

Employers must offer more flexibility to working carers,...

9 Jun 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today