Le Programme Hors Normes en santé au travail : représentations d’infirmières du secteur public
Since 2006, the Programme Hors Normes (PHN) (Standards Non-compliance Program) of the “Direction de santé publique de Montréal ”, has set new guidelines for Occupational Health Teams with regard to workers who have been exposed to environmental concentrations of chemical agents that exceed permissible exposure levels, in other words, that are “standards non-compliant.” The PHN oversees the reporting of non-compliance to the relevant authorities and ensures that employers conduct rigorous follow-up. In doing so, the program has redefined the roles of occupational health team nurses.  This exploratory study aims to describe the representations of these nurses with regard to the PHN and to better understand how they represent their practice into the PHN. Individual semi-directed interviews were conducted among seven nurses.  Qualitative analysis of the data, through categorization and consistent comparison of narratives, reveals the various ways nurses represent their practice in the PHN. Their representations of their practice appear to derive from four elements: work organization, work relationships, intervention target, and work satisfaction.  To increase nurses’empowerment, to take into account the ways in which he PHN has prompted them to reflect on their practice, and to promote cross-sector and cross-professional cooperation, the study suggests that nurses should participate in the planning and implementation of intervention programs and that on-going training should be provided in order to further harmonize professional practice.
santé publique occupational health public heath intervention programs nurses representations professional identity environmental monitoring