Benchmarking Medical Absence - P Denniston Jr & P Whelan - AAOHN Journal - Feb 05.PDF

Benchmarking is a term heard frequently in occupational health nursing, especially from management, but it is not a skill frequently taught in nursing education. According to the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN), the focus of occupational health nursing is the promotion and restoration of health, prevention of illness and injury, and protection from workrelated and environmental hazards (AAOHN, 2004). The benefits of these activities may seem obvious, especially to employees who lead healthier and more productive lives as a result. The benefits to employers may also seem obvious, but will be more apparent when benefits are converted into terms that have a place on employers' balance sheets. Employers make decisions about allocating scarce resources, and in the process they quantify benefits as well as the costs of each endeavour. Business executives look to occupational health nurses to maximize employee productivity and reduce costs through lowered disability claims, fewer on-the-job injuries and improved absentee rates. By measuring the impact of their work, occupational health nurses are in a better position to get the resources to accomplish desired outcomes. This article explores reasons occupational health nurses must benchmark, how to benchmark, and how to use the results.