Adding a certified nurse practitioner to our staff allows us to expand our occupational health services and increase our value. Meet Cheryl Lewis and learn how she can fit into your company’s wellness goals.
What’s the difference between a registered nurse, a nurse practitioner and a doctor?
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are licensed, autonomous clinicians focused on managing people’s health conditions and preventing disease. They can treat illness much like an RN but can also prescribe medication, like an MD. NPs are educated and trained to diagnose and treat some conditions that can also be treated by a medical doctor.
What does a day of a nurse practitioner look like?
Cheryl’s daily role and responsibility as an occupational health nurse practitioner is to provide care to employees while at work. “I monitor and manage employee health, including injuries or illnesses. These can range from foreign bodies in the eyes, lacerations, sprains and strains,” says Cheryl.
“In the event of a medical emergency, my role is to stabilize the employee until they are transported to a higher level of care.
I also provide some primary care to employees, such as prescribing medication, administering vaccines and conducting screenings,” she says. Cheryl also ensures thorough documentation and record-keeping to maintain compliance with legislation on the local, state and federal levels with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
In response to growing occupational health services, Safety Management Systems recently hired a nurse practitioner. Cheryl M. Lewis, MSN-FNP-BC joined the team in August 2018, and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in the oil and gas industry. An expert in the field Cheryl has a history of working in the chemical and oil and gas industries with a specialization in occupational health and safety. She brings more than 13 years of nursing experience that includes emergency room Level I trauma, occupational health medicine and working in medically underserved and indigent communities.
Cheryl holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Herzing University and is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She is a member of several professional organizations including the American Association of Occupational Health Nursing (AAOHN), American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Occupational health nurse practitioners are cost-effective, and their main focus is to prevent and treat stress, injuries or illnesses derived from the work environment.
