Strengthening the capacity of public health nurses serving minority and low-income communities to better identify, manage, and prevent environmental health risks

Children are more susceptible than adults to the potential impacts of environmental contaminants where they live, learn and play. They have disproportionately heavy exposures to environmental toxicants. In addition, they have unique vulnerabilities to environmental exposures attributable to behavioral factors, toxicokinetic patterns and critical windows of susceptibility which are not well understood. This session presents results of a two year project which aimed to build capacity in over 1,800 public health nurses and other health professionals serving low-income, immigrant/refugee and minority children who suffer disproportionately from the impacts of environmental contaminants in the 6 New England states. The project targeted public health nurses and other health care providers for low-income, immigrant/refugee and minority children, including community health centers, community health educators, school nurses, and emergency department staff. The training approach described in this session is directed toward empowerment of public health nurses and other health professionals to create safe environments for children through: 1.) active engagement, practice and policy changes, 2.) their work with parents, communities, and professional colleagues to proactively identify potential environmental hazards and sentinel illnesses, effectively utilize prevention and control strategies, provide information to patients and communities, make appropriate referrals, and demonstrate advocacy and risk communication in patient care and community level intervention with respect to the potential adverse effects of the environment on health. Selected examples of policy and individual practice changes resulting from this intervention will be presented as will recommendations for the use of effective stakeholder collaborations and the use of multi-dimensional, culturally-sensitive strategies to reach high-risk populations.