 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Debbie Kiel, RN, MSN, Barnes College of Nursing, University of Missouri - St. Louis, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd, Nursing Administration Building Room 206, St. Louis, MO 63121, 314-516-7060, kield@msx.umsl.edu, Holly Ingraham, MPA, University of Missouri St. Louis, 8001 Natrual Bridge Rd, St. Louis, MO 63121, and Daine Roche, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, 2800 N. 14th St., St. Louis, MO 63107.
As research continues to link environmental exposures to the status and quality of our health, environmental health has become a growing concern for public health practitioners and the public at large. As awareness increases, communities are seeking resources to assist them in identifying environmental health hazards and discovering best practice strategies and resources to minimize the impact of those hazards. This scenario prompted one urban neighborhood to seek out the resources of a university nursing program to aid them in this effort. As one of the core activities of a HUD sponsored Community Outreach Partnership Center Grant, the neighborhood partnered with community health nursing faculty to develop a model of environmental health assessment to use in their neighborhood. Developed and directed by the community health nursing faculty, the model partners senior level community health nursing students in with neighborhood residents, local health department staff, industry, and a variety of local agencies and coalitions in the assessment process. Using the PACE-EH Model as a framework and techniques such as windshield surveys and Photovoice to collect data, this model of community-based environmental health assessment assists the neighborhood in identifying and prioritizing key environmental concerns, developing strategies to impact those concerns and shaping policy related to the community’s immediate environment. The model also provides a rich practice venue for community health nursing students in which they can experience community assessment process that reaches beyond an academic exercise and inserts the student fully into the activities of a community.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Environmental Health, Community-Based Partnership
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.