The University of Iowa College of Nursing and the Heartland Center for Occupational Health & Safety have collaborated to offer an Occupational Health MSN.
Occupational Health Nursing (OHN) is a clinical specialty that focuses on providing nursing care in the work place. In cooperation with the College of Public Health, students will learn about industrial hygiene, safety policy and regulation, hazard and safety assessment, toxicology, ergonomics, and the clinical management of occupational illnesses. In addition, students can take specialized courses specific to case management, injury prevention, and agricultural health.
Occupational health nurses work with other disciplines including industrial hygiene, ergonomics, occupational injury prevention, occupational medicine, and safety engineers. Nurses in occupational health complete a two-year program of study and take courses in nursing leadership, informatics, epidemiology, toxicology, and the public health sciences. We have special interest areas in case management, injury prevention, and rural health.
Financial Support
Funding opportunities are excellent for students admitted to the Occupational Health Nursing program.
Traineeships and assistantships are offered through the Heartland Center, a NIOSH-funded ERC. Support may be in the form of tuition and/or monthly stipend. Funded positions sponsored by NIOSH are available for U.S. citizens only.
Training Program Requirements
You must apply and be admitted to the MSN degree program with a specialized subtrack in Occupational Health Nursing in the College of Nursing.
The MSN degree program in Occupational Health Nursing (OHN) is 33 semester hours.
- Sample Plan of Study (pdf)
Distance Learning
Most of the courses in the MSN program are Web-based. Only 4 s.h. needs to be completed on campus.
Certification
Graduates of the OHN program will be eligible for certification from the American Board of Occupational Health Nurses (ABOHN) after one year of clinical practice or as a Clinical Specialist in Community Health from the American Nurses Association (ANA). There are also special certifications in case management from ABOHN.
International Experience
Occupational Health Nursing students have had excellent occupational health experience in West Africa and the Slovak Republic. To learn more, go to: www.occhealthnursing.net
Admissions and Application Information
For more information contact:
Graduate Program Associate
College of Nursing
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Ph (800) 553-IOWA
Fax (319) 335-9990
