P-056 Needs Assessment of Continuing Education for Occupational Health Nurses in Taiwan

Introduction Occupational health nurses (OHNs) provide occupational health services for workers; however, few studies discussed their continuing education in Taiwan. This study aims to review the current content of tasks of OHNs and their existing continuing education policy. Methods Current literature and regulations in Taiwan were reviewed. Results The tasks of OHNs in Taiwan are surveillance and analysis of workers’ health, implementing health management, promoting health activities and training, and enhancing health knowledge and skills. However, they are usually not full-time employees in their serviced enterprises and need to cooperate with occupational safety and health professionals or human resources personnel in enterprises. Moreover, they have to communicate with managers sometimes. Therefore, they need skills in communication, data analysis, as well as regulatory application. The current continuing education for OHNs in Taiwan is provided by government-accredited institutions. It is standardized, focuses on knowledge of occupational medicine, and lacks training in the skills mentioned above. Discussion Previous studies have mentioned the need for practical skills in OHNs’ continuing education. Interprofessional education has been developed for local communities to provide collaborative practice in health services. OHNs have to work with other professionals and need skills in other professional fields. Therefore, an interprofessional designed continuing education is useful to OHNs for working in enterprises. Conclusion OHNs need to engage with other professionals in enterprises to fulfill their tasks. The existing continuing education for OHNs in Taiwan lacks training in essential practice skills. Developing interprofessional continuing education for OHNs is recommended in Taiwan.