Occupational Health Nurses (OHNs) are competent practitioners capable of overseeing Disability Management Programs. This Disability Management Practice Standard is designed to serve as a practice standard. Unlike disability guidelines, which advise on the expected length of absences for various illnesses or injuries, this standard, or code of practice, outlines the disability management best practice strategies and the steps that the OHN is expected to follow.
 
Disability Management Programs are a management function designed to:
•    manage employee medical absenteeism and the related costs.
•    support and maintain the employer-employee occupational bond.
•    identify reasons for medical absences through data collection and trend analysis.
•    prevent employee illness/injuries.
•    contain disability-related costs; and
•    uphold legal requirements.
 
Practice standards are stated approaches to care and practice based on recognized and accepted principles of clinical practice for planned processes, such as disability case management. They form the guidelines and rules of practice, provide the boundaries for the practice activity, clarify stakeholder roles and responsibilities, and serve as a practice benchmark. Practice standards can be beneficial because they:
•    promote a consistent approach to case management.
•    provide meaningful direction to the practice in question. 
•  enable practitioners to address new and unexpected health circumstance; and
•    promote effectiveness and efficiency of practice through a reduction of errors, complications, and costs.

This document contains the:
1.    Disability Case Management Standard of Practice.
2.    Disability Management Best Practices.
3.    Disability Management: A Business Function.
4.    Disability Management: Nursing Best Practices.
5.    OHNs: Unique Role in Disability Management.
 
These materials are presented in this manner so that the reader gains a working understanding of the Disability Case Management Standard of Practice; the industry Disability Management best practices; Disability Management as a business function; the related nursing best practices in Disability Management and how OHNs are competent at providing a unique role in Disability Management in Canada.