Introduction of Environmental Health into Fundamentals of Nursing

Curriculum

Introduction into Nursing

• Florence Nightingale• 1:10• Most trusted• Responsibility• Be accurate, find out, promises kept• Quiet hour• Evidenced based practice• Body Burden Study as a preventative tool

Florence Nightingale• Founder of modern nursing• Established the first school

of nursing that combined clinical and theory

• Recognized the influence of environment on health care

• “the act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery.”– Florence Nightingale

National Student Nurse Association

• Joining• Leadership– In NSNA– At college• Green committee• Recycling efforts• Fragrance free

• Advocacy

Connecticut Hospital Association Test

• Radiation Safety• MSDS sheets• Hazardous Substances

Health Protection and Safety Hazards and Health Care

• Appropriate Red Bag Waste– Incineration– Cost (guest relations)

• Appropriate room stocking, use of supplies– Work on relationship with hospital for donations of

unused supplies and equipment• Reading directions

• Fragrance• Ingredients

• Handwashing– Triclorsan

Handwashing

• Project– Obtain 5 commonly used products often in

hospital– Read use directions– Read ingredients– Review MSDS sheets– Research ingredients on Hazardous Substances

Database– Contrast and compare– Safer Alternatives• Compare cost

Communication

• Lecture contains info on therapeutic communication

• Exercise– Written communication– Letter to editor– Letter to clubs to join green effort– Corporate responsibility

• Publication of successes in college publication• Publication to NSNA journal or other

Introduction into Holism• Healthy People 2010 Goals– Self Care– Personal Care Products– Fragrance Free

• Health Promotion/Prevention• 3 Levels of Prevention– PrimaryPrimary

• True prevention- precedes diseaseTrue prevention- precedes disease– SecondarySecondary

• Early detection of diseaseEarly detection of disease– TertiaryTertiary

• Begins after illness- minimizes effect of long term diseaseBegins after illness- minimizes effect of long term disease

10

Nurse’s Role in Health Promotion

• Model healthy lifestyle• Facilitate client involvement• Teach self-care strategies• Educate clients to be effective health care

consumers• Advocate in the community for changes that

promote a healthy environment

11

Dimensions of Wellness

Nutrition • Food diary• Organic vs non-organic• Food source– Fish– Beef and Dairy-rBGH

• Pesticides– Dirty dozen, clean dozen

• Preservatives• Storage• Transportation

Nursing Care Plan Development

• Exercise– Compare client’s diagnosis or symptoms with

profession utilizing EnviroDx