Employee Health Nurse

Job Description

SUMMARY: The Employee Health Nurse (EHN) is a Registered Nurse at La Rabida Children's Hospital responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive occupational health programs for all hospital employees and volunteers. Reporting to the Manager of Infection Prevention and Employee Health, the EHN operates within a specialized pediatric acute-care hospital environment in Chicago, Illinois, and ensures that all employee health activities are conducted in strict compliance with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, including standards set forth by The Joint Commission (TJC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).

The role advocates for a safe and healthy workplace while supporting La Rabida s mission of providing exceptional care to children with complex medical conditions and their families.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Administer pre-placement, periodic, and return-to-work health screenings and assessments per OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910 and TJC HR standards.
• Coordinate and document employee and volunteer immunization programs per CDC/ACIP guidelines and IDPH mandates, including influenza, hepatitis B, MMR, and Tdap.
• Conduct tuberculosis (TB) screening and management programs compliant with CDC TB Elimination guidelines and IDPH Title 77, Illinois Administrative Code, Part 697.
• Manage post-exposure follow-up for blood borne pathogens per OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR ) and the hospital s exposure control plan.
• Oversee respiratory protection medical clearance and fit-testing program per OSHA 29 CFR .
• Maintain confidential employee health records in compliance with HIPAA (45 CFR Parts 160 & 164) and Illinois Confidentiality of Medical Information standards.

• Coordinate work-related and non-work related injury/illness case management per the Illinois Workers  Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305), accommodations and short-term/long-term disability, and Illinois Workers  Occupational Diseases Act.
• Collaborate with HR, department managers, and legal counsel on return-to-work programs, modified duty assignments, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and ADA Title I reasonable accommodation processes.
• Interface with third-party administrators and treating physicians to ensure continuity of care and timely return to work.

• Partner with Infection Prevention & Control to monitor and respond to healthcare-associated exposures, outbreak investigations, and healthcare worker illness surveillance per CDC and TJC IC standards.
• Maintain the hospital s written Exposure Control Plan and ensure annual review and updates.
• Support employee health components of the hospital Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) per CMS Conditions of Participation (42 CFR Part 482) and TJC EC/EM chapters.
• Participate in drills and activations related to mass casualty, pandemic response, and biological/chemical exposure scenarios.

• Maintain and submit OSHA 300/300A/301 Injury and Illness logs per 29 CFR 1904 recordkeeping requirements.
• Ensure timely reporting of occupational exposures and communicable diseases to CDPH and IDPH per the Illinois Communicable Disease Report Act (745 ILCS 45).
• Prepare reports for TJC survey readiness, CMS audits, and other external regulatory reviews.
• Participate in performance improvement activities, quality audits, and EH metrics reporting to leadership.
• Maintain compliance with Joint Commission and other applicable accreditation body standards.

• Develop and deliver mandatory employee health training including blood borne pathogens, hazard communication (Haz Com/GHS), and respiratory protection per OSHA standards.
• Educate employees on proper PPE selection, donning/doffing procedures, and sharps safety consistent with the Needle stick Safety and Prevention Act (PL 106-430).
• Serve as subject matter expert for department managers regarding occupational health regulations, ergonomics, and safe patient handling.

• Participates in committee meetings (Infection Prevention, Emergency Management/Safety/Environment of Care).
• Participates in Continuous Quality Improvement projects.

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited institution;
Master’s degree preferred.

Related

Work Experience:

· Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years of clinical nursing experience; at least two (2) years in occupational health, employee health, or a related specialty.
· Demonstrated knowledge about legal and regulatory compliance and reporting requirements for OSHA standards, TJC requirements, CDC guidelines, HIPAA, ADA, FMLA, Drug-free workplace, NIOSH, and Illinois Workers  Compensation law.

· Current Basic Life Support (BLS)…