ANHE

(Consider adding a course objective or part of ojective to encourage faculty to include it.)

A. Appropriate Environmental Health Content

1. Avoidance of mechanical, biological, chemical, and radiological hazards:
   • Body mechanics
   • Needle stick prevention
   • Infection: multi drug resistance, nosocomial
   • Equipment cleaning:
   • Chemicals used for cleaning patient care equipment;
   • Material safety data sheets (MSDS)
   • Medication waste (taught when med administration is taught)
   • Personal care products
   • Battery recycling
   • Mercury and other heavy metals in supplies and equipment
   • Waste management (e.g., polyvinylchloride-PVC)
   • Avoid scented products (including air fresheners)
   • Radiological exposure
2. Patient assessment

B. Teaching Strategies and Resources 

(ex. readings, questions, assessments, research articles, power points, web resources, etc.)

1. Check QSEN website for anything that might apply.
2. Identify which personal care products have ingredients that can have human health effects. See Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep site.

C. Related Environmental Health Competencies from ANA and ANHE

     Bold objectives below are from ANA (2010) Scope and standards of practice: Nursing.
     Additional objectives are from The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE, 2009)

1. Attains knowledge of EH concepts, such as implementation of EH strategies.
2. Promotes a practice environment that reduces environmental health risks of workers and healthcare consumers.
3. Applies knowledge of basic EH concepts to nursing assessment, prevention, and control strategies.
4. Assesses the practice environment for factors such as sound, odor, noise and light that negatively affect health.
5. Reduces environmental health risks in the health care setting (chemical, biological, radiological [and mechanical]).
6. Utilizes scientific evidence to determine if a product or treatment is a potential environmental threat.
7. Advocates for the judicious and appropriate use of products used in health care.
8. Communicates environmental risks and exposure reduction strategies to health care consumers, families, colleagues and communities.
9. Collaborates with others to create and implement strategies that promote health environments.
10. Promotes a healthy environment that respects the diverse values, beliefs,cultures, and circumstances of patients, their families and communities.

Priority Key Points — Did you know…

1. Health care institutions use Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to describe risks from environmental chemical exposures used on a particular health care unit or site. Do you know where to look for these sheets? Find and review the MSDS appropriate to a unit or site.
2. There is not clear direction on how to dispose of medication waste. What do you do with the tablet or capsule that you drop on the floor or the injection waste if giving a partial dose?

Return to: Environmental Health Curriculum Recommendations for Entry Level Nursing Curriculum

fundamental, mechanical, chemical, radiological, curriculum

Last updated 41 days ago by Admin