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Executive Summary
Pages 1-12

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From page 1...
... If environmental health hazards and health effects are to be recognized and dealt with effectively, it is of fundamental importance that all health care providers have a clear understanding of the association between the environment and health. Toward that end the committee makes a series of recommendations for the integration and enhancement of environmental health in nursing education, practice, and research.
From page 2...
... A child who has a behavior problem in school because of lead poisoning; a young adult who has respiratory problems due to the inhalation of solvents while working in the garage at home; a worker who is exhibiting neurological symptoms related to handling chemicals on the job; and a retired person whose rash is caused by a garden pesticide are all examples of people who have been affected by environmental health hazards in ways that could easily be misinterpreted in the absence of information about the origin of the problem. Nurses are well positioned to address environmental health hazards, both on an individual and community level, for a number of reasons: They are the largest group of health care providers in the United States (2.2 million)
From page 3...
... Taken in this context, use of the term environmental health throughout this report refers to freedom from illness or injury related to exposure to toxic agents and other environmental conditions that are potentially detrimental to human health. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS Since 1950, more than 65,000 new chemical compounds have been introduced into common use in the western world, the majority of which (84 percent)
From page 4...
... There is a fundamental need for the entire nursing community to develop a greater understanding of environmental health hazards and the skills needed to incorporate environmental health into practice. The essential skills include a basic understanding of common environmental and occupational health hazards, prevention and abatement methods, and the resources available for referral and assistance (see Box 1, "General Environmental Health Competencies for Nurses"~.
From page 5...
... In addition, there must be opportunities for interdisciplinary interaction throughout professional education and clinical practice, and existing barriers to interdisciplinary practice must be removed. Interventions in environmental health problems often require nurses and other health care professionals to assume the roles of advocate, activist, and policy planner on behalf of an individual patient or population of patients.
From page 6...
... In the meantime, whether with institutional support or on their own, nurses who are stretching the definitional boundaries of advocacy practice will need to build skills in areas that were likely not part of their basic nursing education. NURSING EDUCATION The majority of nurses confronting environmental health problems have not received adequate basic preparation to recognize and respond to them, will not attend graduate school, and must rely on continuing education programs to sustain and augment their level of knowledge.
From page 7...
... Clarifying the complex relationship between human behavior and the physical and biological effects of environmental hazards with the goal of facilitating social and behavioral changes is a major focus of nursing research in environmental health. The knowledge generated from nursing research shows how people achieve health, respond to threats to their health, and cope with disease and the treatment
From page 8...
... is holistic, and a priority is the preservation of human autonomy in the achievement of health. Thus, in the area of environmental health, nursing research addresses (1)
From page 9...
... Because nursing, like other health professions, strives to base its clinical practice and educational programs on knowledge generated from research, the volume of relevant clinical data in environmental health must be increased to support nursing practice in this area. To generate an adequate knowledge base to support nursing practice in environmental or occupational health, the numbers of nurse researchers and funded projects must be increased, and the design of the work must be broadened to include experimental and intervention studies.
From page 10...
... Recommendation 3.3: Nurses should participate as members and leaders in interdisciplinary teams that address environmental health problems. Recommendation 3.4: Communication should extend beyond counseling individual patients and families to facilitating the exchange of information on environmental hazards and community responses.
From page 11...
... Recommendation 4.5: Professional associations, public agencies, and private organizations should provide more resources and educational opportunities to enhance environmental health in nursing practice. Nursing Research Recommendation 5.1: Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research endeavors should be developed and implemented to build the knowledge base for nursing practice in environmental health.
From page 12...
... Portrait of Florence Nightir~gaZe in a hospital Card used on the cover of the sheet music for a popular lia/Iad written ire her horror, "The NightirlgaZe's Song to the Sick arid Wouncletl. " Litlogro~p!


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