The purpose of this study was to describe Finnish occupational health nurses' (OHNs) work in terms of its contents, characteristics, necessities, meanings, development areas, changes, and expertise. The data were gathered via essays handwritten by OHNs (n = 20). Qualitative content analysis revealed that occupational health nursing practice included work with individuals, work communities, and various collaborative partners, office tasks, and other duties. Responses about OHNs' work were classified as characteristics of OHNs and of their work with advantages as well as disadvantages. The work of OHNs requires a multidisciplinary knowledge basis, professional skills, certain personal characteristics, and other features. These should be maintained and developed through continual education. The outcomes of OHNs' work were better health and healthier habits for employers, higher productivity for employers and occupational health care units, and health care savings for society. The most significant change that has occurred over the last 20 years was the move from an individual and medicine orientation toward a focus on the work community and on nursing. Expert OHNs were expected to be competent and multiskilled professionals who apply multidisciplinary knowledge in practice. This study brought out the need for further study with a focus on the client's perspective.

It is important to arrange continuing education for occupational health nurses to ensure that they are always up to date in order to be able to respond to specific clients' needs. This study provides a foundation for further investigations into, for example, occupational health nurses' work from the point of view of employers, students of occupational health nursing and other occupational health experts and co-operative partners.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the concept of expertise among occupational health nurses. The material consisted of 24 research articles and one theory article published between 1983 and 1997. These were analysed using Rodgers's concept analysis model. The analysis revealed that the surrogate term was authority, and the related concepts were specialist, professional, practitioner and generalist. The attributes of the concept of expertise were associated with roles, profession, position, title and functions. The antecedents of the expertise were identified as knowledge and skills, education, training, experience, personal characteristics and work-related opportunities. The consequences of the expertise were economic and health benefits. Most commonly, the expertise of occupational health nurses referred to clients, workplaces and health-care units. Changes in the concept of expertise were also examined and a definition of expertise formed. Concept clarification is necessary for the development of occupational health education, practice and theory building.