AAOHN AND NASN RELEASE JOINT POSITION STATEMENT ON SAFE AND HEALTHFUL ENVIRONMENTS FOR WORKING YOUTHS
Role of Nursing Professionals Outlined and Collaborative Strategies Defined
ATLANTA -- The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. (AAOHN) and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) today released a joint position statement addressing the role of occupational and environmental health nurses (OHN) and school nurses (SN) in promoting safe and healthful environments for working youths*.
"Occupational and environmental health nursing is the specialty practice concerned with the health and safety of worker populations and school nursing is the specialty practice committed to advancing the well-being of students," said AAOHN President Susan A. Randolph. "These two groups of healthcare professionals have the collective skills, knowledge and competencies essential for advocating the continued protection of America’s youth workers."
The AAOHN/NASN joint position statement maintains that "the needs and abilities of youths differ from those of adults and the work in which youths engage should match their physical, cognitive, emotional and social abilities," and concludes that "it is the responsibility of OHNs and SNs to assume leadership roles in preventing work related injuries and deaths by promoting good health and safety practices among youths."
Drawing from the respective areas of expertise and knowledge of both OHNs and SNs, AAOHN and NASN will collaborate on developing, managing and implementing strategies to promote safe and healthful work environments for youth workers. Some of these shared strategies include**:
- Promote school-to-work programs to help youths prepare for and transition to employment.
- Develop and integrate safety practice curricula and workplace rights in transition to career programs, vocational educational classes, shop, and health classes, etc.
- Advocate that youths are entitled to safe working conditions and that they should be informed of baseline job safety regardless of the size and type of company.
- Strongly recommend that youths receive safety and health and child labor law information when they apply for work permits.
- Serve as resources in raising awareness [of youth worker needs] by providing information and participating in surveillance and education and training programs.
To download a full copy of the joint statement, click here.
Established in 1942, AAOHN is a 10,000 member professional association dedicated to advancing the health, safety and productivity of domestic and global workforces by providing education, research, public policy and practice resources for occupational and environmental health nurses. These professionals are the largest group of health care providers serving the worksite.
The National Association of School Nurses is a non-profit specialty nursing organization, dedicated to the delivery of professional school health services to promote optimal learning in students. Incorporated in 1979, NASN has more than 11,000 members nationwide and 51 affiliates. In addition, NASN serves as a resource for school health programs and works as an influential advocate for school nursing. To learn more about NASN please call: (866) 627-6767 or visit us on the Web at: www.nasn.org.
* For the purposes of this joint statement, youths are defined as 12-17 years of age, who work full or part time for compensation; work in a volunteer position for an organized group; or work on a farm task.
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