COHN(C) study guide
COHN(C) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN) credential is a specialty certification for registered nurses who practice in workplace settings - manufacturing plants, hospitals, utilities, construction, transportation, government, and corporate health services. It signals that a nurse has moved beyond general clinical competence into the distinct body of knowledge occupational health requires: recognizing workplace exposures, interpreting surveillance data, managing injury and illness in the context of employment, and applying the regulatory and ethical framework that governs worker health. The COHN(C) study guide has 8 sections and about 2,232 words.
01Occupational Health Nursing Practice and Professional Role
Occupational health nursing (OHN) applies the nursing process to a working population rather than to a single patient. Candidates must understand the scope-of-practice triangle: what the nurse may do independently (assessment, first aid, health teaching, surveillance testing, case management), what requires standing orders or written protocols from a physician or advanced practice provider, and what must be referred out (diagnosis, prescribing, definitive treatment).
330 words, about 2 min02Worker Assessment, Health Surveillance, and Clinical Care
Worker assessment spans pre-placement, periodic, and exit evaluations. Understand the purpose of each: pre-placement establishes baseline fitness and detects conditions that could be aggravated by the job (it is not a screening tool to exclude applicants), periodic surveillance detects early change from exposure, and exit evaluation documents end-of-exposure status and supports claims.
317 words, about 2 min03Health Promotion, Wellness, and Worker Education
Health promotion in the workplace targets modifiable risk factors and the conditions that shape them. Candidates should know the major frameworks: the health belief model (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, self-efficacy), the stages of change/transtheoretical model (precontemplation through maintenance), and the socioecological model (individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, policy).
287 words, about 1 min04Work Environment Assessment, Hazard Recognition, and Exposure Control
This domain is the technical heart of OHN practice. Know the hierarchy of controls : elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE) - with PPE last because it depends on human behavior and fit.
292 words, about 1 min05Regulations, Standards, Ethics, and Legal Aspects
OHNs must know the statutes that shape practice. OSHA sets workplace safety duties, including the General Duty Clause, hazard communication, bloodborne pathogens, respiratory protection, hearing conservation, and recordkeeping (injury/illness logs, reporting fatalities and severe injuries).
251 words, about 1 min06Case Management, Return to Work, and Disability Management
Case management coordinates care from injury through safe return. Know the phases: assessment, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation, with the worker at the center.
267 words, about 1 min07Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Response, and Injury Management
OHNs are central to workplace emergency preparedness. Know the all-hazards approach and the incident command system (ICS) , including the nurse's likely role in planning, triage, first aid, and liaison.
244 words, about 1 min08Management, Leadership, Program Development, and Quality Improvement
OHNs often manage programs, staff, and budgets. Know the difference between management (planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling) and leadership (vision, influence, change).
244 words, about 1 min