A Day in the Life With Screening Nurse, Shivaun

Shivaun is a Screening Nurse and has worked for All Health Matters for over 3 years. As well as being a Screening Nurse for our Occupational Health team, Shivaun is also a part of our Wellness team. Before joining AHM, she had spent her time travelling around the world, working in lots of different countries.

Screening Nurses help carry out vaccinations, health surveillance and blood tests on site and in our clinics to help keep the workplace healthy.

A Day in the Life of a Screening Nurse 

Having been sent the Client Information Form in advance, I look up the address details and plan my journey. I like to get to the client site early enough to have at least 20 minutes set up time. I also allow 30 minutes to get held up in traffic or get lost. 

The evening before, I will prepare my kit. As a clinician, I have my own designated equipment that I carry around with me and tailor to individual clients’ needs. The kit can be heavy and cumbersome, especially when struggling through muddy building sites, up and down scaffolding or across the London Underground. If I know in advance, the types and numbers of medicals requested by the client, I can pack the equipment in a compact way and therefore make things easier. 

Finding clients can be a challenge as many sites are out in the sticks or on building sites, with several different entrances or similar looking shipping containers. This is why it is so important to have as much information as possible in advance.  This includes details about finding the site contact and where they would like us to park.

Shivaun, Health Screening Nurse at All Health Matters

As a nurse, I need to be flexible and adaptable. Some days I can be working with the general public in the Wellness Clinic, taking blood, irrigating or microsuctioning ears, vaccinating and giving advice on travel requirements. Other days, I can be in a company boardroom, talking to office staff about their lifestyle and wellness during a Mini Health Check, or I could be on a building site, in a joinery or bus station, working in a shipping container, shed or garage, doing Safety Critical Medicals or Health Surveillance.

Once my equipment is all set up and I have managed to log in to the client’s Guest Wi-Fi, I am ready to start seeing employees. In most cases, employees have been told in advance that they are having medicals and will come along at their allotted time, prepared, with their Health Surveillance Questionnaires completed. Most employees will have had Health Surveillance before and will be aware of the benefits, not only to the employer but also to themselves. Sometimes I come across more challenging employees who may feel uneasy or threatened by the thought of an intrusive medical. I need to be resilient and calm in these situations, explain the process and gently put them at ease.

Most medicals consist of general health and wellbeing, lung tests, skin and muscular skeletal discussions, vision tests and hearing tests. Depending on the role, we will also cover Hand/Arm Vibration, Safety Critical and Night Workers. All these tests are interspersed with lots of explanation and discussion around the employee’s lifestyle and concerns. 

Some medicals will take longer than others. Sometimes I will be able to finish the medical ahead of the time allowed but with others, especially if they have complex needs, medication or disabilities, if they find the tests difficult to understand or fail a drugs test, I can find myself running past the time slot.

At the end of the screening day, I will need to complete an Outcomes form to be sent to an OHA/OHP for review and release of a Fit Note to the Client. I will also then try to find the client contact or somebody from HR (often gone home) to say goodbye and thank you and to inform them of any immediate action necessary. 

I will then pack up all my equipment and make my way back to the car for the drive home.

The job of a Screening Nurse is not a glamorous one. I am often seen loitering outside toilets waiting for employees to produce a urine sample. Most days include managing wee, blood or ear wax but to be honest, I have dealt with worse during my 40 year nursing career!

What I like about my job is that I get to meet and help so many different people from all sorts of backgrounds, every day. I work with a brilliant multi – disciplinary team who, are so approachable and helpful. I am encouraged to grow and develop my skills in a supportive environment and put them to good use within All Health Matters.  

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Support for your workforce

If you are looking for Health Surveillance, blood testing or vaccines, our Screening Nurses can help. We support employers across a wide range of industries with compliant, proportionate occupational health services.

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