Karen Heaton, Ph.D., associate professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, has been named the associate editor for continuing education of Workplace Health and Safety: Promoting Environments Conducive to Well-Being and Productivity.
The journal is the official publication of the American Association of Occupational Health Nursing, Inc., and is a scientific peer-reviewed journal. Its purpose is to support and promote the practice of occupational and environmental health nurses by providing leading-edge research findings and evidence-based clinical practices. It publishes articles that span the range of issues facing occupational and environmental health professionals, including emergency and all-hazard preparedness, health promotion, safety, productivity, environmental health, case management, workers’ compensation, business and leadership, compliance, and information management.
Heaton’s program of research is focused primarily on the effects of sleep deprivation and obstructive sleep apnea on cognition and injury risk in workers. For example, she has been involved in projects that explored the impact of distraction and health issues on driving and driving performance issues among aging truck drivers, and self-assessment of driving performance compared to real-time simulated driving performance among truck drivers.