Nursing

Hot, Dusty, and Smoky: Navigating Extremes, Climate Change Impacts on OEH

Conference Sessions are Now Available Online, On-Demand

Climate change is pressing public health crisis that is already impacting the world of work. Join the Northern California Centers for Occupational and Environmental Health for a deep dive into the chemical, biological, and physical hazards of navigating climate extremes. Learn about the rising prevalence of Valley Fever, a fungal infection caused by inhaling dust or soil particles, particularly in drought-affected regions. Discuss the impacts of rising temperatures on worker safety, heat-related illness, and...

Mastering Medical Legal Report Writing: Unraveling Complexities

Delve into the intricacies of medical legal report writing and unlock your potential to create reports that withstand scrutiny, effectively communicate findings, and serve as compelling evidence in legal proceedings. Differentiate between contributing-causal factors, both industrial and nonindustrial, influencing the resultant permanent disability. Develop proficiency in assessing the percentage of permanent disability caused by work injuries or industrial exposure, while considering the impact of other nonindustrial contributing factors. Learn to employ the most...

Mastering Medical Legal Report Writing: Mitigating Implicit Bias

Delve into the intricacies of medical legal report writing and unlock your potential to create reports that withstand scrutiny, effectively communicate findings, and serve as compelling evidence in legal proceedings. Understand the impact of unconscious bias, stereotyping, and discrimination on medical assessments, and gain insights into how these biases can inadvertently influence perceptions and decision-making, leading to disparities in healthcare strategies. Learn practical techniques to mitigate implicit bias in your evaluations and report writing. You'll also examine the...

Mastering Medical Legal Report Writing: Navigating QME Requirements

Delve into the intricacies of medical legal report writing and unlock your potential to create reports that withstand scrutiny, effectively communicate findings, and serve as compelling evidence in legal proceedings. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the statutory and regulatory requirements that govern medical legal report writing, and learn to navigate these complex legal frameworks as you apply standards to your practice. Learn to identify common mistakes, such as insufficient documentation or inadequate analysis, that can compromise the integrity of your reports. Discover how...

Mastering Medical Legal Report Writing: Evidence-Based Evaluation

Delve into the intricacies of medical legal report writing and unlock your potential to create reports that withstand scrutiny, effectively communicate findings, and serve as compelling evidence in legal proceedings. Define Permanent and Stationary Status (P&S) and Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), develop your proficiency in evaluating and confirming patient disability status, differentiate whether an injury arose out of employment, and make precise determinations for QME medical-legal reporting. You'll also learn to clearly and concisely report the rationale behind your assessment...

12/04/2025: Collaborative Care in Motion: The Power of Nursing and Ergonomics in Workplace Health

About the webinar:

This webinar will highlight the successful collaboration between Occupational Health Nurses and Ergonomists. Through real-world case studies, it will demonstrate how these two disciplines work together to prevent occupational injuries, ensure timely treatment, and provide comprehensive support for employee health and well-being.

10/23/2024: Designing Workplaces for Neurodiverse Workers

About the webinar:

This webinar will describe how to design workplaces that are compatible with the cognitive and behavioral challenges of neurodiverse individuals. Participants will learn how to eliminate features that cause distress, performance deficits, and precarity. Environmental factors including the use of surface colors, natural and artificial lighting, visual complexity, acoustics, textures, scents, and circulation routes will be explored. Participants will also discuss how to develop supportive spaces for hypersensitive individuals; people on the autism spectrum; or with...

03/05/2026 - 03/06/2026: Workers in the U.S. and Worldwide: "An Endangered Species?" and Updates in Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Course Description

The course is presented by the Division of Occupational, Environmental and Climate Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Thursday, March 5, 2026 - Day 1 provides insights about workers in the US and worldwide. It offers an exploration of emerging and persistent challenges in occupational and environmental medicine, with direct implications for patient care and workplace health advocacy. Topics include the current assault on occupational and environmental protection, the re-emergence of...

02/05/2026 - 02/06/2026: COEH Builds Bridges - Forever Ends Here: PFAS & Policy for Worker Health and Safety

Thursday, February 5 (Online) &
Friday, February 6, 2026 (In-Person | Berkeley, CA)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent one of the most pressing environmental and occupational health challenges of our time. These persistent chemicals are found in water, soil, consumer products, and workplaces, raising urgent questions about health risks, exposure pathways, and strategies for prevention, treatment, and policy action.

Thursday, February 5th (Online) - Participants will engage with leading experts exploring the...

Cycle Threshold to Test Positivity in COVID-19 for Return to Work Clearance in Health Care Workers

Sandra Domeracki, RN, MSN, FNP-BC, COHN-S, FAAOHN
Robert N Clapp
Kristopher Taylor
Chuanyi M Lu
Harry Lampiris
Paul D Blanc
2020

Objective: To ascertain whether reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) cycle amplifications until detection, the cycle threshold (Ct), could help inform return to work (RTW) strategies for health care workers (HCWs) recovering from COVID-19 infection.

Methods: Sequential Ct data from COVID-19 nasal pharyngeal (NP) RT-PCR testing in all COVID-19 positive HCWs at a single institution. Analysis of Ct in relation to time until negative testing for RTW clearance.

Results: Data for 12 employees showed that time...