American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN)
The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) is the professional association of licensed nurses engaged in the practice of occupation and environmental health nursing. The major roles and responsibilities of AAOHN are to: Define the scope of practice and set standards for occupation and environmental health nurses. Develop standards of professional conduct for the occupational and environmental nurse as described in the AAOHN Code of Ethics. Promote the health and safety of work and workplace communities. Promote and provide continuous learning opportunities for occupational and environmental health nurses and professionals offered through the AAOHN Academy. Advance the profession by encouraging and facilitating research. Advocate for occupational and environmental health nursing in business, hospitals, government and other professional areas. Respond to issues critical to the practice of occupational and environmental nursing.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Professional association
- Industry Type:
- Workplace Safety
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
- Employees:
- Over 1000
About Us
AAOHN serves over 3,200 members located across the United States, US Territories, and the World, with our international membership. AAOHN is comprised of over 40 chapter organizations that are incorporated agencies under their state regulations. Each chapter has its own by-laws and officers, but follows guidance from AAOHN, nationally.
The national association has an elected Board of Directors with a President, President-Elect, Secretary and 5 directors. Staff consists of personnel to support finance, the conference, membership, chapters, marketing, education, communications and other specialists that implement the strategic goals established by the Board of Directors. Volunteer member committees drive innovation and services to membership.
Mission
AAOHN is guided by its mission statement. The mission of the organization is that work and workplace community environments will be healthy and safe.
AAOHN elevates all occupational and environmental health professionals to advance accessible, person-centered, and equitable, high-quality health care for diverse communities through evidence-based practice, education, advocacy, research and leadership across a variety of point of care delivery settings.
Strategic PlanThe Strategic Plan of AAOHN is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses is, what it does and why it does it, all with a focus on the future.
The Executive Board along with Executive Management develops a long-term mission and a short-term plan to address the needs of the OHN community. This plan establishes goals over a period of years that assumes the organization will need to respond to a dynamic, changing environment. View the strategic plan.
AAOHN Board StatementAs an organization that serves all occupational and environmental health nurses for worker populations everywhere, AAOHN supports the collective empowerment of people of all races, ethnicities, religions, political preferences, genders, sexual orientations, gender identifications, abilities, incomes, marital statuses, ages, geographic locations, philosophies, and veteran statuses, and recognizes that all members are equal.
AAOHN is committed to establishing and sustaining a diverse and inclusive environment. AAOHN encourages members of all ages, genders, racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation and gender identities to apply for AAOHN volunteer positions.
AAOHN’s leadership is strategic and intentional in decision-making in order to ensure adherence to the mission of the organization. AAOHN strives to be unbiased in decision-making and purposeful in review of matters that come before the AAOHN Board of Directors.
Our HistoryAt the 2017 AAOHN National Conference, we celebrated our 75th Anniversary with a look back at the evolution of the profession of occupational health and environmental nursing. View the presentation.
The AAOHN Foundation
The AAOHN Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, was created by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Inc. (AAOHN) in 1997 to enable occupational and environmental health professionals to improve worker health and safety by preventing workplace illnesses and injuries. These purposes are accomplished through grants and scholarships to support:
- scholarship awards to support ongoing professional education;
- leadership development; and
- grants for research initiatives.
Workers are our most valuable resource. Their health and safety are key to a strong economy, the health of businesses domestically and globally, and the well-being of the general public. However, workplace illnesses and injuries continue to inflict a tremendous toll in both human and economic costs.
Significant progress has been made in improving worker protection and the health and safety of the work environment. Due to the efforts of occupational health nurses and others who are committed to worker health and safety, worker injuries and illnesses decreased from 10.9 incidents per 100 workers in 1972 to 2.8 per 100 in 2019 (retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html). There have been improvements, however, the AAOHN Foundation is not satisfied with this data. We are confident that with our continuing efforts to improve the health and safety of workers, we can achieve much more.
Purpose
To ensure that occupational and environmental health professionals find the critical current and future answers they need, the AAOHN Foundation funds professional development scholarships and research grants that focus on improving the health and safety of the nation's workforce.
The Foundation acts as both a vital source of funds and a stimulus for substantive work to solve today's worker health and safety issues. Supporting the Foundation’s fundraising activities ensures improvement in the health and safety of the nation's workforce and a bold, visionary expansion of resources for occupational and environmental health professionals.