Environment: An Issue for Nurses PDF

# Environment: An Issue for Nurses ## What is the Environment * Physical, social, political, legal, psychological, and cognitive environments of families and communities ## Environmental Health (EH) * Freedom from illness related to exposure to environmental contamination, hazards and toxins * W...

# Environment: An Issue for Nurses ## What is the Environment * Physical, social, political, legal, psychological, and cognitive environments of families and communities ## Environmental Health (EH) * Freedom from illness related to exposure to environmental contamination, hazards and toxins * Well documented that environmental hazards impact human health * And lived environment is linked to chronic disease * Increased industrialization leads to environmental deterioration ## 2007 WHO * to a large extent, public health depends on safe drinking water, sufficient food, secure shelter, and good social conditions. A changing climate is likely to affect all of these conditions ## Climate Change and Global Warming * Biggest global health threat of 21st century * WHO predicts increase in illness and death due to environment changes * Threats for water, food security, extreme climate changes * Heat waves, flood, increased vector borne diseases ## Environmental Hazards * Unsafe drinking water * Lack of sanitation * Air pollution * Exposure to toxins * Waste dumping * Overcrowded housing * etc ## Water Safety * Fundamental * 1.8 billion people in the world rely on contaminated water * Contaminated from waste from human, industrial, agricultural * Source of water either pure or public system * Public water systems have government requirements * Safe drinking policies i.e. Walkerton ## Air Pollution * Created by burning fossil fuels i.e. oil, coal, gas, also cooking and heating fuels * Kids vulnerable-breath more rapidly, inhale more pollutants per pound * People most at risk are those with lung diseases and asthma * Risk of creating cancer, heart diseases, stroke, respiratory disease * Asthma has increased exponentially since 1990’s ## Chemical Pollution * Man made chemicals put into environment i.e. fertilizers, pesticides, heavy metals * Through waste disposal, industrial discharge, vehicle emission * Chemicals stay in environment for a long time, build up in fatty tissue, liver, kidneys, bones and cancers * Children vulnerable-relative to size, take in more * Hand to mouth activity, absorb through skin and intestines ## Inside Environments * Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) 2015 estimated one third of Canadians live in substandard housing conditions * Spend 90% of time indoors * Inside air, smoke, mold, lack of adequate ventilation * Most are single parent families, younger than 30 years old, those with mental health issues, and seniors living alone * Severe shortage of on-reserve housing, 6X more overcrowding ## Environmental Sensitivity * Deterimental symptoms from exposure to chemicals which restrict population from participating in public life * Neurological impairments, headaches, breathing and digestive problems ## Contaminated Social Environments * Degrading, violent, poverty, overcrowding, crime, visible substance abusers * Sever impact on physical, psychosocial and emotional health of those living there