183194 Environmental health nursing assessment tools and resources for community-based agencies and organizations

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 11:24 AM

Marjorie Buchanan, RN, MS , Environmental Health Education Center, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
Barbara Sattler, RN, DrPH, FAAN , Environmental Health Education Center, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
Allison Del Bene Davis, PhD, RN , School of Nursing, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Robyn Gilden, RN, MS , School of Nursing, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
Public health nurses work in partnership with a wide array of agencies and organizations providing essential services for community residents. Many of these organizations can unknowingly place people and the community at risk for exposure to environmental hazards. It can occur in everything from service-delivery, to facilities construction and management, purchasing practices, and waste disposal. While focusing on different population groups and providing varying services to the community, schools, churches, early childhood education and day care centers, and nonprofit service agencies are well positioned to engage in risk reduction and environmental stewardship that can improve the community's health. These agencies can provide essential environmental information and serve as role models to those they serve and to the community-at-large. If equipped with appropriate tools and resources, PHNs can collaborate with agencies and organizations to assess the environment and facilitate change that will reduce risk of hazardous exposure and will foster environmental stewardship to protect and improve health. These tools and resources must be simple to use and aligned with a particular agency's mission, target population, programs, and services. The Environmental Health Education Center (EHEC) of the University of Maryland School of Nursing is a repository of existing tools for agencies and serves as a resource for guiding and developing agency-appropriate new ones. Many tools have been tested and actively utilized through PHN faculty practices and public/community health nursing clinical experiences. Over time, they are being incorporated into everyday use by agencies and organizations in Maryland and elsewhere, and new tools are being developed. This session will share information about environmental health collaborative partnerships with community agencies and organizations and tools and resources for agency use in reducing environmental health risks and promoting environmental stewardship.

Learning Objectives:
1)List the key elements in collaborating with community agencies for environmental health 2)List the key areas in a community agency environmental health assessment with specific attention to agency mission and population served. 3)Identify existing tools and resources for agency environmental assessments, strategies and resources for developing health-oriented environmental practices in meeting the agency’s mission 4)Identify sources of information and technical assistance available to nurses based on findings from a community environmental health assessment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Co-Director of the Community/Public Health Nursing Program and Clinical Course Coordinator for Undergraduate and Graduate C/PHN Programs, University of Maryland School of Nursing
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.