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name of the game for Pat Arbuckle Chronicle Staff They work where people work - in factories. hospitals. universities and businesses. And in recent years, a prime focus of the Occupational Health Nurse has been making that workplace as safe as possible for the employee. Approximately 400 occupational health nurses from across Canada are expected to arrive in Waterloo next week to attend the 1% Occupational Health Nurses' Conference to be held Oct. 24 to 28 at the Waterloo Inn. According to Waterloo nurse Ardith Stark, the conference is expected to be "a learning experience, bringing occupational nurses up-to-date with new methods in medicine" through workshops, guest speakers and displays of medical equipment. Stark, an occupational health nurse for seven years, has worked on a part-time basis in six local companies during the past year. They include: Sunar of Waterloo, Budd Canada Inc., Burns Meats Ltd., B.F. Goodrich Canada Inc.. Imperial Tobacco Ltd. and Hammond Manufacturing Co. Ltd., the latter two in Guelph. She feels that this experience, working as an independent agent, has given her a firsthand look at the wide variety of duties and working environments to which members of her profession are exposed. And, said Stark, that profession has been undergoing a gradual change in recent years. At one time. occupational nurses were occupied solely with the treatment of worh-reiated injuries and dispensing medication to employees. Now, while nurses still treat a wide variety of physical complaints ranging from cuts, eye injuries and strains to colds and headaches (during an eight-hour shift, Stark treats as many as so to 10 employees). much more time is devoted to preventative medicine. keeping the employees they serve safe and well. Many local companies, for example. require employees to have a complete physical examination on a regular basis. some annually, either by the family or company physician. Much of the "pre-med" work, including blood tests. blood pressure, urinalysis and audiometer (hearing) tests is done by the occupational health nurse. said Stark. If any problems are detected during the tests, the employee is referred to either a Preventative aspects occupational nurses on Mom-1m. o “in. Id. 10 and um .t5urtt-ttrAnq.W."ltateeMer and leave your worries FBI! Mr Flight/Accident Insurance to $100,000.00 we really 1'"1' Come fly with "t"itriYrrss, I” . 1'ee'jlr,...f,yf"' oe-tion-tttrt-tttttSt- tthechsthetttetetergte-otae" ”no, unoWMBuddConuI-hc. Since stress may also have a serious effect on an employee's performance on the job. occupational health nurses are often required to do some counselling. Employees with serious or recurring problems are referred to a trained psychologist. A big part of the occupational health nurse's job. however, includes health teaching, with emphasis on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle as well as a safe work environment. Plant hospitals are well stocked with pamphlets on a wide range of subjects from safety on the job to hearing loss or toxicology. Nurses also arrange or teach classes in first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. family doctor or other agencies. In small plants, nurses may also be required to participate in safety programs within the company, said Stark. “In some plants, the nurse would go out to the location where the accident has occurred and working with a safety officer, determine why it occurred and how it can be prevented." she explained. At one time, any registered nurse could become an occupational health nurse but, gradually, with the field becoming more specialized, extra training is needed said Stark. Legislation is now pending that would require oceupatiooal health nurses in the province of Ontario to have a bachelor of science degree with specialization in occupational health nursing. Stark expects the legislation will be in force within the next five years. Other courses in audiometry are also necessary. Stark said that she enjoys the rapport that builds up between nursing staff and employees in her job as an occupational health'nurse. A former emergency room nurse who enjoyed the "hustle and bustle" of her work. she finds work in an industrial setting similar. "it's quite challenging." she said. "You usually don't have the big traumas but it's satisfying because the patients listen to you. Often you are the only contact the person has with any kind of medical care." The five-day conference, hosted by the Waterloo-Wellington District . Occupational Health Nurses Association, is designed to facilitate the ongoing education of occupational health nurses throughout Canada. Workshops and guest speakers will address such subjects as Nursing and the Law, Nutrition and Cardiac Rehabilitation in the workplace. iitiiq MI I: Whole-ole ". = (mum _ JOHN’S NURSE ' “any.” Comeattdetsttowoutttartthttgamortmmotrtar1trttittt-ocarr-ntmesarttiutm $treMgPrhmsers htm64tt6 245 MWIMWM th'Gm 515mm my?!» 520 mm“ trom$600 S4yPtrtedFnrttmet msns SPEC] Al, ' sum Ova: 20,000 Tm. from 2'-20‘. ao Acres of Shade Taw,- Blue Spruce, Shrubs and Fruit Tron. Fruit Trees. Maples, Oaks, Walnuts. and my: Amters tom“ " Lmdcns. Locust. FMM Crabs. ‘45 like Spruce ' Ausman Pm hon $1600 2010mm PA». Flowing tlt",':',',:"': - Mules no nan me. Hoopsi - ma - t5 Red from 9200 Nest Spruce, may. Bouwood, Em >40 “0":me 'rom$6U) mus. Japanese Vows. ”one: a How~ M, PtyttedFnMtmes won 5775 eriog Shrubs. Cocoa Beans. Bock, Ottomans. Famine. dc Tree 8. Shrub Sale a Atl, 'ue, Granrto St, Mary’s boost for physiotherapy Chronicle Staff An annual provincial government grant of $35,101 will allow St. Mary's General Hospital to expand its out-pa- tient physiotherapy service to the eve- ning hours. . Louise Deniers, executive director of the Waterloo Region District Health Council, explained that thefunds will be used to hire two part-time physiothera- pists and will allow the hospital to “increase the physiotherapy service to the population and increase the number of hours when treatment is available." “It is an attempt to accommodate the working hours of people who cannot come during the day and will reduce the waiting list for service,"' she added. St. Mary's is one of 36 hospitals across the province that will receive funds for new or expanded out-patient physioth- erapy services. Demers explained that the grants were made available after a 1981 report by the Ministry of Health indicated that part of the Waterloo Region was underserviced in terms of outpatient physiotherapy. "The ministry asked the hospitals if they would be interested in developing programs to meet this need," said Demers, Scent-“mm". Women I] SUNDAY Marilyn Mathews. communications officer at St. Mary's Hospital. said that she hopes that the new Program will be implemented as soon as possible at the hospital. She added. however, that further study of the original proposal is grams. Ofricials at St. Mary's responded with a proposal in early January and they learned of its success in a recent announcement by Ontario Health Min- ister Keith Norton. needed "to look at what and of the population has the most need for added physiotherapy services." More than $800,000 has been made available by the provincial government to cover the start-ttp costs. salaries and operating expenses in the as hospitals selected for physiotherapy service can pansion. It has also been estimated that more than 13,000 people, including children with cerebral palsy. accident and stroke victims and those with degenerative conditions such as arthri- tis will receive physiotherapy as a result of the new and expanded services. Physiotherapists help patients regain muscular strength. "eo-ordination and range of movement through instruction and the development of exercise pm