Discusses occupational health program considerations, (including all levels of prevention), for vulnerable populations, using examples such as the health needs of women workers, shift workers, aging workers, families of workers, and workers with chronic diseases and impairments. Focuses on strategies for identifying and removing barriers that affect health and work performance; program development and management responsibilities; and cost issues related to implementing selected preventive and rehabilitative programs. Presents relevant research findings on the ability of vulnerable populations to benefit from safe and healthy working lives.

On completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify, for selected vulnerable subgroups, factors that influence the need for specific occupational health services
2. Discuss examples of interaction between occupational and environmental risk factors and host factors that affect health and work performance
3. Describe the application of research findings to the practice of health professionals, including safety specialists, nurses, physicians, health educators, and others
4. Examine the contribution of workplace exposures to home environment contamination and implications for workers and their families
5. Analyze the occupational health needs of a specific vulnerable worker population

• Workforces and Workplaces
• Working Through the Lifespan
• Disability, Obesity, Mental Illness, and Infectious Disease
• Management of Disability/Illness and Return to Work
• Women, Minority, and Immigrant Workers
• The Second Shift: Workers' Families
• Special Working Populations

The content of this course is divided into seven separate modules. The lecture sections are presented sequentially and should be completed in that order. Each of these sections combines audio presentation and slides, interviews, or a video. You may return to any previous section at any point and review its contents at your convenience. In each lecture section, you will find a listing of the section topics, links to the lecture materials, a listing of reading assignments, and links to Web resources.

Bulletin Board Exercises

During this course, there will be four Bulletin Board (BBS) exercises.

• BBS Exercise 1: Students are asked to introduce themselves to the rest of the class and share objectives for registering for this course.
•  BBS Exercise 2: Students will post a description of the selected vulnerable population for the final paper and a peer-reviewed journal article that addresses your selection.
• BBS Exercise 3: Respond to a set of brief questions.
• BBS Exercise 4: Posting your paper’s abstract, a set of 10 PowerPoint slides outlining the relevant sections of your paper, and the reference list from your paper. Detailed guidelines for BBS 4 are described in the final paper instructions.
  

You are expected to post a well–thought out response to each of the BBS discussion topics. Good replies are those that are thoughtful, original, and motivate discussion.

LiveTalk Sessions

There are four LiveTalks scheduled for the course. Students should plan to be available for the LiveTalk sessions. The dates and times are listed on the course schedule. Please post questions and issues for the LiveTalks on the respective BBS at least one day before each LiveTalk session. Faculty will respond to as many issues/questions as possible, time permitting. Further discussion can be continued on the BBS. If it is not possible to attend a LiveTalk session, you are expected to listen to the archived version as soon as possible.    

• 25%: Class participation and interaction
• 5%: Identify a vulnerable population and justify your decision (BBS Exercise 2)
• 60%: Final paper and posting of PowerPoint, abstract, and references (BBS Exercise 4)
• 10%: Posted review of classmates’ final paper abstract and PowerPoint

Your participation in the course can be monitored. Timely responses to the four BBS exercises, participation in LiveTalks or listening to the archived versions of the LiveTalks, and your attention to all course material determine this part of your grade. Please check the course schedule for all assignments.

For your final paper, you will select a vulnerable population of interest to you, such as a subgroup of workers susceptible to adverse occupational exposures and conditions. You will write it  from the perspective of one who is advocating for this population. The paper will be no more than 20 typed, double-spaced pages. You will also be asked to develop and post a final paper abstract, references, and a short PowerPoint presentation.

Finally, you will be required to provide a thoughtful review (evaluation and recommendations) of each fellow student’s posted abstract, PowerPoint, and references. It will be no longer than two paragraphs.

Grading will be based on well-reasoned, coherent arguments that are scientifically supportable. An "A" grade will be given for work that utilizes both texts and primary literature and shows that you thought about and synthesized the material based on your own experiences and information gathered. The degree to which you synthesize the course material and other sources will be important determinants of your grade. You must also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of any choices or recommendations that you make in the assignment.

• No required textbook
   
• Course reading materials: The course reading list is available in the Online library and the journal articles are available via the Welch Library eReserves
• Weblinks are available for each lecture
• Articles and newspaper reports are available in the online library 
• Please make sure you review all of these items

Faculty Jacqueline Agnew, RN, MPH, PhD  Course Co-director Professor, Division of Occupational & Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Joint Appointment School of Nursing BSPH Rm. W7503D Phone: (410) 955-4037 Email: jagnew@jhsph.edu Sheila T. Fitzgerald, RN, PhD Course Co-director Associate Professor, Division of Occupational & Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Joint Appointment School of Nursing BSPH Rm. W7503A Phone: (410) 955-4082 Email: sfitzger@jhsph.edu

Feedback from students each year has greatly enhanced the course. An online evaluation form is available after each lecture and LiveTalk and a course evaluation at the end of the course. Please complete these evaluations as your input is valued and used to improve future offerings.