At a glance
Key accomplishments from the Education and Research Centers (ERCs) in fiscal year 2020. ERCs are located in academic institutions and produce high-quality graduate and post-graduate training, research training, education, and outreach.
Introduction
NIOSH is mandated to provide an adequate supply of qualified personnel to carry out the purposes of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (Public Law 91-596). Educaton and Research Centers (ERCs) are one of the principal means for meeting this mandate. ERCs are academic institutions that provide high-quality interdisciplinary graduate and post-graduate training, research training, education, and outreach in the core occupational safety and health disciplines of industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, occupational medicine residency, and occupational safety, as well as allied disciplines. Research and research training are integral components of ERCs, with ERC faculty and NIOSH trainees conducting research on issues related to the NIOSH Strategic Plan: FYs 2019−2026 and emerging issues. ERCs serve as regional resources for industry, labor, government, and the public through training, research to practice, education, and outreach.
You can also find the information on this page in the NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program: Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2020.
Trainees, graduates, and employment of graduates
In academic year 2019–2020, more than 300 students graduated from ERC programs with specialized training in disciplines including industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, occupational medicine, occupational safety, and other closely related occupational safety and health fields. The number of students enrolled increased from 978 in FY 2019 to 997 in FY 2020. The table shows the number of students enrolled, graduates, and employment status during FY 2020.
Table. ERC Graduate Employment by Work Setting, FY 2020
| Work Setting/ Program Area |
Industrial Hygiene |
Occupational Health Nursing |
Occupational Medicine |
Occupational Safety |
Other |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Industry | 48 | 0 | 2 | 34 | 21 | 105 |
| Federal/ State/Local Government |
22 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 42 |
| Academic Institution |
13 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 36 |
| Clinic/Hospital | 3 | 14 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 45 |
| Other OSH Employment |
1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Seeking Advanced OSH Degree |
5 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 24 |
| Seeking OSH Employment |
16 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 27 |
| Total | 108 | 28 | 33 | 53 | 63 | 285 |
Continuing education outputs
Continuing education of occupational safety and health professionals is a required part of ERC funding. Each year, NIOSH ERCs train thousands of these professionals around the United States through course offerings in the occupational safety and health core and related disciplines. The following table shows the continuing education activity by discipline. In FY 2020, ERCs provided 306,952 person hours of training to 73,695 occupational safety and health professionals who took 1,543 courses. This compares with FY 2019 when the ERCs offered more courses (1,562) and more hours of training (348,390) but had a lower number of trainees (51,153).
Table. Continuing Education Courses by Discipline, FY 2019
| Discipline | Number of Courses |
Number of Trainees |
Person-Hours of Training |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Hygiene | 159 | 4,928 | 32,331 |
| Occupational Health Nursing | 129 | 8,176 | 34,254 |
| Occupational Medicine | 209 | 28,270 | 40,342 |
| Occupational Safety | 805 | 20,837 | 143,954 |
| Other | 241 | 11,484 | 56,071 |
| Total | 1,543 | 73,695 | 306,952 |
Program achievements
Work ability among older nurses
Many older nurses in the United States are working in direct care and facing safety and health hazards, but research is limited on their ability to safely perform at work. Researchers at the New York and New Jersey ERCs recently looked at the factors influencing aging nurses' work ability. They interviewed 17 female registered nurses, with an average age of 59 years, by phone or in person at a large academic medical center. Guided by a NIOSH Organization of Work Framework, the questions focused on the framework's principles that include work context, or characteristics of the job like work tasks and roles, and organizational context, like workplace practices and policies.
The participants' main motivations were internal factors like experiencing joy from nursing and feeling connected to patients at their bedside. Other aspects that increased their ability to work included having a preferred work schedule that supported work-life balance, a work environment filled with camaraderie and teamwork, and organizational leaders who valued workers' input. These nurses also identified health issues, including knee replacement surgery, as one barrier to work performance—especially related to their desire to work future. Most expected to continue working for 5–10 more years.
While researchers say future research needs to reflect a wider population and range of healthcare systems, these findings support the need for managers of aging nurses to focus on schedules, workload, and enhancement of overall health. The Western Journal of Nursing Research featured this study, as did a NIOSH Science Blog in FY 2020 commemorating nurses during the Year of the Nurse. So far, more than 400 people have read about the study.
Details:
- Organization of Work Factors Associated with Work Ability Among Aging Nurses
- New York-New Jersey Occupational Safety & Health Center
- Work Ability Among Older Nurses
Continuing professional education
Continuing professional education and outreach at the Harvard ERC offers a varied slate of courses that meet regional, national, and global occupational safety and health needs. These Executive and Continuing Professional Education Courses (ECPE) are short classes, ranging from two to five days, taught by staff in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Course participants include current and aspiring global leaders in healthcare and public health, with up to 55 individuals participating in each class.
Topics can range from leading in healthcare systems and organizations to applied risk communication to health outcomes research. These four topics are typically included each year and were the only classes offered in-person in FY 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene
- In-place Filter Testing Workshop
- Ergonomics and Human Work Factors
- Radiological Emergency Planning
The Harvard ERC offered 46 courses attended by 1,763 people in FY 2020. Participants included state police, firefighters, and first responders, along with hospital and university staff. Representatives from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission also participated. Class evaluations showed most participants thought the courses would improve their job performance. When asked to rate the overall quality, participants gave the courses an average score of high quality. Looking forward to FY 2021, ECPE courses will be held online. This approach made the program more accessible to new participants.
Details:
Symposium on wildfires
The Southern California ERC, located jointly at University of California Los Angeles and University of California Irvine, hosted a symposium on wildfires—an issue that continues to increase in severity and length in the Western United States. This event, entitled "Hot Topics in Wildfires: Present and Future Health Risk," focused on varied topics such as health effects from wildfires, regulations for worker protection from wildfire smoke, and the impact of climate change on wildfires. Presentations also highlighted past and current NIOSH research on wildland firefighters. Additionally, sessions focused on exposure assessment in wildfire research including biomonitoring, exposure monitoring, and computer modeling. Presenters represented universities, state health departments, and other organizations, including the University of California San Francisco, University of Arizona, and California Department of Public Health. Symposium attendees included local government officials from Los Angeles and Irvine, along with staff at the Irvine Police Department and Orange County Fire Authority.
This February 2020 event aligned with the Southern California ERC's efforts to provide professional education, research, and outreach that positively impacts regional and national occupational health and safety practice.
Details: