As a solo practitioner, your duties and responsibilities keep you busy providing quality patient health care and following good business practices, standards, and regulations. However, it’s equally important to recognize that whether you’re an employer or an employee, you also have occupational health and safety rights and responsibilities.
Health and Safety Duties for Nurse Practitioners
Familiarizing yourself with health and safety in the workplace is crucial. All roles have specific and different levels of responsibility that must be adhered to. For comprehensive guidance, you can visit WorkSafe BC’s Roles, Rights & Responsibilities to ensure compliance with occupational health and safety standards.
As an employer, your responsibilities include:
- Training, Education, and Instruction: Provide thorough training on all the hazards associated with job duties and your workplace. Ensure proper supervision to confirm safe behavior.
- Implementing Control Measures: Put in place measures to mitigate risks and regularly review and update these measures to protect your staff from injury, illness, or disease.
As an employee, the foundation of a nurse practitioner’s responsibilities starts with:
- Working and Acting Safely: Follow all safety rules and procedures. Be aware of hazards and control measures, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). For more on how to create a safety culture, see How to Create a Safety Culture Within Your Business.
Do You Know the 3 Rights of Workers?
Everyone has the right to work in a safe and healthy environment. As a worker, you have three key rights in occupational health and safety:
- The Right to Know: Understand the hazards and potential hazards associated with your job.
- The Right to Refuse Unsafe Work: You can refuse unsafe work without penalty by the employer.
- The Right to Participate: Engage in safety discussions and activities at the workplace. For more insights, visit What to Consider When Providing Services in a Facility as a Solo Practitioner.
Promoting Safety Culture
As a nurse practitioner, it is vital to take time to familiarize yourself with occupational health and safety rights and responsibilities. Promoting a safety culture is an essential part of your role in keeping your workplace safe.
- Connect with Your Health and Safety Committee: Work collaboratively to boost safety culture in your workplace. Preventing workplace accidents, injuries, and illnesses should be a collective effort.
- Safety Goals: The ultimate goal for all nurse practitioners is to go home safely after every shift. To explore more ways to enhance safety culture, visit What’s a Health and Safety Program and Why It Is Important for You.
If you want to learn more about ways to develop safety culture in your workplace, consider reaching out to The Safe Way – Workplace Safety and Human Resources Corporation for assistance at [email protected].
About the Author
Margo Wipf, Programs Director, The Safe Way – Workplace Safety and Human Resource Corporation
Margo Wipf is a solutions-oriented safety consultant and Director of Programs at The Safe Way – Workplace Safety and Human Resources Corporation. Her vision is to ensure safe work behaviors and environments for all workers, including those in the continuing care sector.
Margo excels at helping business owners establish systems to identify risk management issues, employment standards, Worksafe requirements, and more. Her unique approach includes coaching, motivating, and building relationships that promote safety culture and mitigate risk. She collaborates with solo practitioners to create safety policies and procedures tailored to their needs, ensuring regulatory compliance. For the solo practitioner, these deliverables save money, provide peace of mind, and free up time to focus on business and client needs.
To learn more about Margo and how she can help your business, please visit her website at www.thesafeway.ca.
Related Resources:
- Self-Employment and Health Safety
- Understanding Business Use of Home Expenses for Taxes Purposes
- 8 Basic Workplace Safety Requirements You Need to Consider
- Are You Meeting Your Professional Obligations on Patient Care Documentation in Your Independent Practice?
- Maintaining Professional Boundaries
- Conflict of Interest: What to Consider
By integrating these practices, solo practitioners can ensure that they not only comply with health and safety regulations but also foster a workplace culture that prioritizes the well-being of all individuals involved.
Ready to make the switch?
Try Our Platform Free for 14 days.
See CompanyOn in Action
Schedule A Free 1:1 Personalized Demo
