Top 12 Occupational Health Nurse Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today's competitive job market, a sharp, well-crafted resume that highlights essential skills is crucial for occupational health nurses aiming to stand out. The following 12 skills show your expertise and your relentless commitment to worker health and safety, while giving hiring managers an immediate reason to look twice.

Occupational Health Nurse Skills

1. Triage
2. Immunization
3. Audiometry
4. Spirometry
5. Phlebotomy
6. CPR/AED
7. OSHA Compliance
8. Ergonomics
9. Case Management
10. Health Education
11. Electronic Health Records (EHR)
12. Microsoft Office

1. Triage

Triage in occupational health means rapidly assessing employees’ complaints, injuries, or exposures and prioritizing care based on urgency and severity. Quick calls, clean handoffs, no guesswork.

Why It's Important

Prioritization saves time and, sometimes, much more. Efficient triage routes critical cases fast, reduces downstream risk, and keeps the workplace steady and safe.

How to Improve Triage Skills

Sharpen assessment, tighten process, and keep communication unclogged.

1. Enhance assessment: Keep current with evidence-based symptom evaluation and red flags relevant to your industry. Revisit algorithmic decision aids and refine with real-case reviews.

2. Use technology wisely: Configure EHR triage templates and alerts. Simple, structured notes beat long narratives when time is thin.

3. Solidify comms: Build clear pathways between employees, supervisors, safety, HR, and external providers. Standardize escalation rules and after-hours coverage.

4. Write it down: Maintain and update triage protocols reflecting current regulations and company hazards. Drill them.

5. Close the loop: Collect feedback from staff and patients after incidents and near misses. Iterate without mercy.

How to Display Triage Skills on Your Resume

2. Immunization

Immunization involves administering vaccines to build protection against specific diseases. In workplaces, it blocks outbreaks before they even start.

Why It's Important

Vaccination keeps workers healthy, cuts absenteeism, and protects vulnerable teammates. It aligns with safety programs and compliance duties, plain and simple.

How to Improve Immunization Skills

1. Educate clearly: Share current guidance, indications, and contraindications. Use plain language and address common concerns head-on.

2. Increase access: Offer on-site clinics, flexible hours, and mobile options. Make participation effortless.

3. Track safely: Maintain confidential vaccination records within your EHR. Build reminders for boosters and series completion.

4. Promote smartly: Run targeted campaigns, leverage peer champions, and report coverage rates to sustain momentum.

5. Engage continuously: Use surveys and quick huddles to learn what’s working and what’s not.

How to Display Immunization Skills on Your Resume

3. Audiometry

Audiometry measures hearing thresholds across frequencies and intensities. In noisy environments, it’s your early warning system for hearing loss.

Why It's Important

Early detection leads to timely protection. Catch shifts soon, intervene fast, and you preserve hearing and compliance in one move.

How to Improve Audiometry Skills

1. Calibrate consistently: Follow manufacturer and recognized industry standards to keep results trustworthy.

2. Control the room: Test in sound-treated or quiet spaces that meet background noise limits.

3. Maintain mastery: Pursue training and, where appropriate, occupational hearing conservation credentials (e.g., CAOHC).

4. Test on schedule: Baseline, annual, and post-exposure testing per your hearing conservation program.

5. Manage data: Use software to trend threshold shifts and flag follow-ups automatically.

6. Educate workers: Fit-test hearing protection, teach proper use, and reinforce consistency.

7. Collaborate: Work with safety teams and audiologists to refine noise controls and program metrics.

How to Display Audiometry Skills on Your Resume

4. Spirometry

Spirometry measures lung volumes and flow rates, helping identify obstructive and restrictive patterns. Essential when airborne exposures or respiratory symptoms enter the chat.

Why It's Important

It unmasks early impairment from workplace exposures, enabling prompt intervention and prevention of chronic disease.

How to Improve Spirometry Skills

1. Train deeply: Complete formal instruction on testing and interpretation consistent with current ATS/ERS standards.

2. Maintain equipment: Calibrate as recommended and document quality checks religiously.

3. Prep the person: Provide pre-test guidance (medications, smoking, caffeine, tight clothing). Remove guesswork.

4. Coach technique: Demonstrate a full inhalation, tight seal, explosive start, and sustained exhalation to the end.

5. Repeatability matters: Obtain at least three acceptable maneuvers with repeatability within current standards.

6. Quality control: Review curves and flow-volume loops for artifact. Reject junk. Keep the gold.

7. Stay current: Refresh competencies and update protocols when standards evolve.

How to Display Spirometry Skills on Your Resume

5. Phlebotomy

Phlebotomy is obtaining blood via venipuncture for testing, monitoring, or treatment. Smooth, safe, and steady hands win the day.

Why It's Important

Accurate specimens drive accurate decisions. Proper technique protects patients and staff, and keeps surveillance programs reliable.

How to Improve Phlebotomy Skills

1. Practice with purpose: Regular, supervised procedures build precision and calm under pressure.

2. Pursue education: Review current guidelines and consider certification (e.g., ASCP) when relevant to your role.

3. Elevate patient experience: Explain, reassure, and use distraction or breathing techniques to reduce anxiety.

4. Seek feedback: Peer review uncovers small technique gaps that matter.

5. Adopt helpful tools: Use vein-finding devices and appropriate gauges when indicated.

6. Honor safety: Follow bloodborne pathogen standards, use safety-engineered devices, and enforce sharps protocols.

How to Display Phlebotomy Skills on Your Resume

6. CPR/AED

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) maintains circulation and oxygenation with chest compressions (and, when trained and appropriate, rescue breaths) until advanced care arrives. An AED analyzes rhythm and delivers a shock if a shockable arrhythmia is present.

Why It's Important

In cardiac arrest, seconds roar by. Immediate, high-quality CPR and prompt AED use can double or triple survival odds.

How to Improve CPR/AED Skills

1. Refresh routinely: Renew certification on schedule—at least every two years—and practice between renewals.

2. Train hands-on: Use manikins with feedback devices to perfect compression depth, rate, and recoil.

3. Simulate reality: Drill in your actual workplace with real AED models and team roles.

4. Debrief and learn: After drills or real events, review performance and tweak protocols.

5. Stay ready: Check AED pads, battery status, and response kits. No surprises.

6. Mindset matters: Practice stress-management techniques so you can act decisively when alarms blare.

How to Display CPR/AED Skills on Your Resume

7. OSHA Compliance

OSHA compliance means aligning workplace practices with safety and health standards—hazard identification, prevention programs, training, surveillance, and transparent reporting.

Why It's Important

It prevents injuries and illnesses, protects the workforce, and anchors your program in law and good sense.

How to Improve OSHA Compliance Skills

1. Stay informed: Monitor updates that affect healthcare and your specific industry risks.

2. Assess hazards: Perform structured risk assessments and implement feasible controls—engineering first, then administrative, then PPE.

3. Build safety culture: Encourage reporting, near-miss learning, and just culture principles.

4. Train continuously: Provide fit-testing, chemical handling, emergency response, and ergonomics education with refreshers.

5. Track health trends: Use surveillance data to flag clusters and intervene early.

6. Document rigorously: Keep incident logs, training records, and program evaluations accurate and up to date.

7. Iterate: Review incidents, audits, and worker feedback to strengthen controls over time.

How to Display OSHA Compliance Skills on Your Resume

8. Ergonomics

Ergonomics aligns tasks, tools, and environments to human capabilities. Fewer strains, fewer sprains, more comfort, better output.

Why It's Important

Thoughtful design slashes musculoskeletal disorders and boosts productivity. It’s prevention in action.

How to Improve Ergonomics Skills

1. Assess the work: Conduct structured workstation and task evaluations (e.g., RULA or similar methods).

2. Tune the setup: Adjust chair height, monitor position, input devices, and lighting to fit the worker, not the other way around.

3. Coach posture and microbreaks: Teach neutral positioning, stretch breaks, and job rotation where feasible.

4. Deploy tools: Recommend ergonomic accessories—footrests, keyboard trays, sit-stand options, anti-fatigue mats—based on risk.

5. Follow up: Reassess after changes, especially when roles or equipment shift.

How to Display Ergonomics Skills on Your Resume

9. Case Management

Case management coordinates care for work-related injuries or illnesses—navigation, advocacy, and efficient return-to-work planning.

Why It's Important

Coordinated care reduces delays, improves outcomes, manages costs, and supports both the employee and the business.

How to Improve Case Management Skills

1. Communicate expertly: Practice active listening, set expectations, and provide clear next steps to workers and supervisors.

2. Know the rules: Stay current on occupational health regulations, leave laws, and company policies.

3. Leverage systems: Use case management and EHR tools for timelines, tasks, and documentation that’s audit-ready.

4. Intervene early: Identify risks quickly and start treatment coordination before problems snowball.

5. Build a team: Collaborate with physicians, PT/OT, behavioral health, safety, and HR for a unified plan.

6. Educate continuously: Offer training on self-care, gradual activity, and signs that need reevaluation.

7. Measure and refine: Track return-to-work timing, restrictions, and recurrences. Adjust pathways accordingly.

How to Display Case Management Skills on Your Resume

10. Health Education

Health education empowers employees with knowledge on safety, disease prevention, and smart lifestyle choices. Tailored to the job, grounded in evidence.

Why It's Important

Informed workers spot risks sooner, make better choices, and sustain healthier habits—fuel for a durable safety culture.

How to Improve Health Education Skills

1. Keep learning: Update content with current guidance and local risk profiles.

2. Target the message: Build programs around your workforce’s tasks, exposures, language, and literacy.

3. Make it interactive: Use workshops, drills, and hands-on demos. Passive slides don’t stick.

4. Use digital channels: Deliver microlearning via intranet, email nudges, or mobile apps for better reach.

5. Evaluate impact: Gather feedback, quiz for retention, and track behavior change or incident trends.

How to Display Health Education Skills on Your Resume

11. Electronic Health Records (EHR)

EHRs are real-time digital charts containing medical histories, medications, immunizations, test results, and more. In occupational health, they centralize surveillance, streamline workflows, and support compliant documentation.

Why It's Important

EHRs tighten data accuracy, accelerate care decisions, and improve coordination. They also support privacy and security requirements when configured and used correctly.

How to Improve Electronic Health Records (EHR) Skills

1. Streamline entries: Build templates, smart phrases, and checklists for common encounters to reduce clicks and errors.

2. Train beyond basics: Master advanced features—order sets, flowsheets, dashboards, and shortcuts.

3. Integrate new signals: Where appropriate, incorporate wearable or mobile health inputs to flag trends and risks.

4. Protect data: Enforce strong access controls, encryption, and audit trails. Respect privacy laws at every step.

5. Use decision support: Configure alerts, reminders, and evidence-based guidelines to guide action, not overwhelm.

6. Engage patients: Offer portals for vaccine records, test results, and secure messaging to close gaps.

7. Collect feedback: Monitor usability pain points and iterate with your IT team for smoother workflows.

How to Display Electronic Health Records (EHR) Skills on Your Resume

12. Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office—now commonly delivered as Microsoft 365—covers Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and often Teams and OneDrive. It’s the everyday toolkit for documentation, analysis, communication, and training.

Why It's Important

Clear reports, clean data, and smooth coordination keep programs humming. This suite does the heavy lifting when you make it sing.

How to Improve Microsoft Office Skills

1. Start with templates: Build standard forms for incident reports, vaccine logs, and exposure tracking to ensure consistency.

2. Level up Excel: Learn tables, pivot charts, conditional formatting, and basic formulas for trend analysis and KPI dashboards.

3. Power up presentations: Create concise, visual decks for safety trainings with speaker notes and embedded short videos.

4. Own your inbox: Use Outlook rules, categories, and shared calendars to keep follow-ups and clinics on schedule.

5. Collaborate smarter: Store policies and trackers in OneDrive or SharePoint, and run briefings in Teams with recorded sessions.

6. Automate the routine: Explore simple automations or forms for incident intake and training sign-offs.

7. Stay updated: Keep apps current for security and new features that shave precious minutes off daily tasks.

How to Display Microsoft Office Skills on Your Resume