Taking the Next Step: Why I Chose to Get My OH Qualification—and Why You Might Too

Phina Amahoro: "occupational health is public health—just with a different backdrop"

Phina Amahoro's route into occupational health wasn’t planned. Like many others, she found her way into occupational health by chance.

The Beginning

My journey into nursing began at 16, after leaving school with few qualifications and little interest in anything academic. I didn’t thrive at school, and the guidance I was given left me questioning my potential. School had left me with the impression that university—and education in general—was meant for other people, not me.

But my mum—kind, persistent, and not one to let me drift—insisted I do something. Alongside a part-time job, I reluctantly enrolled in college. I didn’t have a strong calling to nursing at the time. My aunt was a nurse, and I’d always found human biology more bearable than the rest of school. That was the full extent of my career planning.

I started a pre-diploma nursing course at a local college mainly because it didn’t ask for much in the way of qualifications. To my surprise, I found I didn’t hate it. In fact, thanks to a few patient lecturers and a more practical approach to learning, I realised I could learn—I just did it differently. That course opened the door to a nursing degree, and later, a Master’s in Public Health.

After that, I hit a bit of a wall. Public health jobs were thin on the ground, and I found myself applying for a trainee OHN role in a police service more out of curiosity than strategy. I didn’t really know what occupational health involved, but I took the chance.

My first OH role

It was a steep learning curve. I was suddenly doing safety-critical medicals, learning about health surveillance, and supporting staff with everything from mental health concerns to long-term sickness absence. What quickly became clear was that occupational health is public health—just with a different backdrop. That’s where things started to click.

After leaving my first role, I joined PAM Group—and that’s where things really started to come together for me in occupational health. Surrounded by experienced, supportive colleagues—and with mentors like Janet O’Neill—I began to take the discipline seriously. I wanted to understand why we do what we do as occupational health nurses—and the wider impact our role has on worker and public health. Janet amongst others encouraged me to obtain the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing in Occupational Health qualification, and I’m so glad I did. I completed the course at UWS, and it changed how I approached my role.

Specialist practice in OH taught me that being a good nurse isn’t just about empathy or experience—it’s about applying evidence, navigating systems, and understanding risk. The environments we work in are rarely straightforward. You’re often managing competing priorities, working across departments, and supporting employees in high-pressure roles, all while keeping your clinical judgement intact.

Specialist Training

The SCPHN training gave me the tools to hold space for that complexity. It sharpened my understanding of ethics, legal duties, and governance. It helped me to make sense of the grey areas we so often find ourselves in.

More than anything, it confirmed something that had probably always been there—I’m an advocate. I care deeply about people’s health and wellbeing, and within the context of occupational health, that means championing worker health.

It’s not just about the individual in front of you; it’s about understanding the systems they operate within and recognising how those systems either support or undermine their health.

I’ve worked with hybrid teams, lone workers, and those in safety-critical roles. I’ve had to explain the same guidance ten different ways depending on who’s in the room. I’ve supported managers through difficult return-to-work decisions and had quiet conversations with staff who didn’t trust the system. In every one of those interactions, I’ve drawn on the knowledge and perspective the SCPHN-OH course gave me.

That’s why, if you’re an OH nurse thinking about what’s next, I’d genuinely encourage you to consider getting your specialist qualification. It’s not just about getting the qualification—it’s about learning how to deliver meaningful, informed care in complex workplace settings that directly influence public health.

A new direction

Very recently, I left day-to-day OH role to take on a new role—as a lecturer in the very university where I completed my SCPHN. It’s surreal. From being told at 15 that I wouldn’t amount to much, to becoming a nurse, then a specialist, and now a lecturer on the very SCPHN course I completed just a few years ago… it’s been quite the journey. I laugh sometimes thinking about how far removed this is from the life I once imagined.

It hasn’t always been easy. But looking back, a combination of things kept me going—my faith, the support of a brilliant community, inspiring mentors, and learning through failure more times than I can count. In hindsight, it’s occupational health nursing that gave me direction, purpose, and confidence in my own voice. It brought together everything that matters to me—my care for people, my belief in fair access to health, and my deep-rooted drive to stand up for what’s right.

So, if you’re at a crossroads in your OH career, wondering whether it’s worth the extra study, the extra effort—I’d say yes. It’s not an easy path, but it’s a worthwhile one.

And you never know where it might lead!

If you are interested in pursuing a career in occupational health, please have a look at the National School of Occupational Health.