CPD activities: educating and regulating occupational health technicians

These CPD activities, compiled by Professor Anne Harris, are intended to complement the  article CPD: Educating and regulating occupational health technicians.

Activity 1

Plan a presentation on the role and responsibilities of healthcare technicians to be delivered at a careers fair for students in the sixth form who may be considering a career in health but may not have the confidence to study at degree level. This SOM document may be helpful.

Activity 2

You will be giving a presentation on the benefits of investing in the recruitment of technicians for a medium-sized provider of OH services. This will be delivered to the senior management team.

Write a plan of the points you think are pertinent when recruiting to a training post for OHTs. Incorporate in the plan for your presentation the benefits to the organisation, the team and clients. Consider the essential and desirable attributes you would like to see for such a position.

Highlight what you would include in a training programme for OHTs which may include in-house training and other training initiatives such as completion of external courses required to assure competence to undertake a role in health surveillance.

This SOM document and the HSE website may be of assistance.

Activity 3

Two members of an OH team, a nurse and an experienced OHT, have offered to mentor OH technician trainees.

What in-house training and support would you offer these mentors?

Activity 4

Update yourself on the Faculty of Occupational Medicine’s SEQOHS standards. How would these standards relate to developing a team within an OH service which includes OHTs?

Activity 5

If you have the opportunity, spend time with an experienced OHT. How does their role differ from, yet complement, that of a qualified occupational health nurse?