Notes on Nursing written in 1860 by the mother of nursing recognized the importance of the environment in caring for the sick
Florence Nightingale
2nd hand smoke, crowding, noise, drunk driving, technology
Living patterns
CNS, developmental delays, RBC, water, paint
Lead
Food sanitation, inspections, well and septic approval, vector control
Examples of essential health services
I PREPARE
Environmental exposure history
The beginning of community health nursing is credited to Lillian Wald for her work at _____
Henry Street Settlement
Source reduction, re-purposing, recycling/composting, conversion technologies, landfills
Waste control
Brain damage, flu-like s/s, cannot hear, see or smell; incomplete combusion
Carbon monoxide
Identify and evaluate exposure pathways
Everything is connected
Advocacy, health promotion, disease prevention, research, health hazard assessment, investigation of injury & illness
Roles and responsibilities of EH nurse
CAA, CWA, CERCLA, SARA, TSCA, Right to Know OSHA
Examples of landmark environmental legislation to control health problems
Ensure safe supply free from minerals, toxic chemicals, pathogens; aquifer contamination
Water quality
Odorless, inhaled or ingested, homes, lung cancer
Radon
Immature immune systems and blood brain barrier, play of ground, limited liver and kidney function to metabolize and filter
Vulnerability of children
Include environmental health history, case management, health promotion, education
Individual- focused interventions
All the physical, chemical, and biological factors external of a person and all related factors impacting health
WHO definition of environmental health
Predicted high levels of air pollution to plan for safe and healthy outdoor activities
Air quality index
Odorless; nerve damage; measured in hair, blood, or urine; ‘Mad Hatter’
Mercury
Severe weather, environmental degradation, increasing allergens, impacts food and water supplies
Impact of climate change
Partnerships, coalitions, resources, awareness, identify EH hazards
Community–focused interventions
Goal: Promote health for all through a healthy environment
Health People 2020 – Environmental Health
Availability, cleanliness, neighborhood safety, lead-based paint, podents/insects
Housing – Built environment
Children more vulnerable, cooked, explosion and fire hazard
Methamphetamine
Asthma, CV disease, malnutrition, diarrheal diseases, Lyme disease
Impact of climate change on health
Advocate for policy change, educate law makers
Systems-focused interventions