Nurses responding to the nation’s antibiotic crisis: The agricultural connection

Rachel Smith, PhD, RN, CNA¹, Barbara Sattler, RN DrPH FAAN¹, and Novella Jackson, RN, MS, CNA, BC². (1) School of Nursing, University of Maryland, 655 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, (2) Environmental Health Specialist, University of Maryland, Environmental Health Education Center, 655 West Lombard Street, Room 665, Baltimore, MD 21201, 410-706-2351, NJack001@son.umaryland.edu

Most nurses have familiarity with antibiotic resistant infections. Many nurses know that antibiotic resistant infections are on the rise in humans. Almost no nurses are aware of the extent of antibiotic use in agricultural production. They are not aware that more antibiotics are going into animal feed to enhance growth promotion than are being consumed by humans to combat bacterial infections. They are not aware that many of the antibiotics used with animals are the same, or similar, to those prescribed for humans. This session will describe an initiative, led by the Environmental Health Education Center at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, which sought to develop and provide resources to, a coalition of nursing leaders interested in preserving the effectiveness of medically important antibiotics by stemming their inappropriate use in agriculture.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this session the participant will be able to

1. Discuss the process used to develop a coalition of nurse leaders interested preserving the effectiveness of medically important antibiotics by stemming the inappropriate use of antibiotics in agriculture.
2. List resources available to nursing organizations for supporting efforts to educate and move members to advocacy efforts related to the agricultural connection of the nations antibiotic crisis.

Keywords: Environmental Health, Nurses

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.

Recorded presentation

Agricultural Issues and Environmental Public Health

The 132nd Annual Meeting (November 6-10, 2004) of APHA