Abstract
In this paper, the topic of environmental health and its connection to different environmental changes is discussed using the report offered by Healthy People 2020 in 2017. In addition to such environmental factors as air pollution, water contamination, indoor environment, climate change, surveillance, and infrastructure, the role of nurses in eliminating these environmental barriers is explained. Nurses have to cooperate with patients and their families at different levels. The improvement of patients’ knowledge, the promotion of new tools for information exchange, and the support of the relations which have to be developed between patients and their health care providers are the main steps nurses can take as the leaders in developing environmental health. The conditions under which people have to live, work, and cooperate are dangerous in terms of health due to constant exposure to harmful sources and the inability to control all sources of pollution. Therefore, the contributions of nurses have to be evaluated to help people protect their health.
Introduction
The impact of the environment on human health is a frequently discussed topic in many organizations around the whole world. There are many reasons why environmental health has to be recognized and studied thoroughly. For example, the environment may include all those natural things which are around people, and it is hard to understand how to avoid the harmful effects of air or water pollution. The environment is also all those chemical, biological, and social changes that define the quality of human life. Exposure to the natural environment has been studied and defined as an important issue, but no evident contributions to the development of diseases have been made (Donovan et al., 2013). In this paper, the impact of such environmental factors as climate change, air/water pollution, natural disasters, and occupational hazards on human health will be discussed to clarify the role of a nurse as a researcher of environmental barriers and to identify the steps with the help of which it is possible to improve the quality of life.
Synopsis
During this lesson and considering the sources that can be available online, it is easy to understand that environmental health is an urgent topic for discussion. Many physical and social environmental factors may affect public policy and health (Woolf & Aron, 2013). First, people have to interact with the environment regularly, and there is no opportunity to neglect or avoid these activities. Second, recent technological and industrial progress leads to several negative environmental outcomes, including pollution and accidents. Finally, not all people understand that they are responsible for all those climate changes and challenges. When they decide to pollute the air by driving cars, garbage burning, or the usage of chemical fertilizers, they expose the environment to serious damage and unpredictable outcomes.
Because of the inability to control climate changes and the behaviors of different people and organizations, it seems to be normal not to focus on the solution of environmental problems. There is also a thought that climate is always changing (Ebi, Ogden, Semenza, & Woodward, 2017). Therefore, there is no chance for ordinary people to protect their health and gain control over the climate and the environment. Though people make mistakes, such a conclusion is a mistake that can be supported.
Many people have already lost their hope to protect their environment and follow the order and norms established. However, some organizations support the idea of the green environment or safe production. There are many “green” banks in the United States the creation of which is explained by the existing concerns about the natural environment and its destruction by human activities (Almandoz, Lee, & Marquis, 2017). Unfortunately, such a “green” organizational attitude is not an obligation but a kind of independent personal decision, and the number of those who have already accepted the environmental change urgency as a serious problem differs from the number of people who do not find it obligatory to solve this problem alone.
Environmental Factors that Impact Health
The connection between environmental changes and health may be invisible to ordinary people, but evident to researchers and medical workers. Healthy People 2020 (2017) is a governmental organization that identifies six main elements of environmental health. For example, poor air quality causes premature deaths, cardiovascular or respiratory problems, and cancer. The contamination of water may lead to the development of severe diseases. There is also a threat of toxic substances and hazardous waste (Healthy People 2020, 2017). The peculiar feature of this factor is that it has been fully understood. Some attempts to reduce the level of waste are made. However, the essence and appropriateness of such activities are still under discussion.
The environment people face being at home or in special communities (like school or work) undergoes serious challenges and changes as well. People have to deal with indoor pollution, inappropriate or unsafe heating or sanitation, and evident structural problems. Sometimes, there is not enough knowledge or space to promote the safety and quality of the environments. In some cases, people simply forget about their importance. Finally, such factors as surveillance, infrastructure, and global health have to be taken into consideration (Healthy People 2020, 2017). Environmental hazards should be measured and responded to properly. Water quality, air pollution, and chemical exposures may be prevented in case special surveillance systems and education are effectively promoted. People should have enough sources to receive information and experience.
All these factors have a significant impact on human health and the development of new diseases and complications. Air pollution contributes to the development of the diseases that may be transmitted by air, including lung problems and respiratory diseases like COPD, asthma, pneumonia, or tuberculosis. Water contamination promotes the growth of infections that may influence the work of different systems in a human body, including respiratory, circulatory, and digestive. Severe psychiatric disorders caused by environmental factors may influence the work of the brain, human emotions, and reactions.
Role of a Nurse to Improve Environmental Barriers to Health
There are many people, who may share their knowledge and experience to improve the existing environmental barriers and protect public health. Nurses can make the necessary contributions to the field of environmental health. Florence Nightingale and Lillian Wald were the first nursing theorists who recognized the importance of the discussion of environmental factors around patients and discussed how nurses could implement appropriate environmental principles. Nurses should not only eliminate the problems of the environment and health but also explain the role of people in environmental protection and the possibility of precautionary steps. One of the rules that every nurse should follow is to not harm. Nurses should promote high-quality patient care, and effective cooperation between nurses, patients, and other healthcare workers, and the recognition of necessary healthcare products and practices.
The first task that cannot be neglected by nurses is patient education. Today, not all patients are aware of their contributions to environmental health. Therefore, nurses have to understand their responsibility and make sure that all patients receive the necessary portion of knowledge. The implementation of the second task is based on the resources with the help of which patients and nurses may improve the quality of the environment. These resources include some informative brochures and guides for patients and their families, several devices that serve for information exchange, and assessment tools to gather the opinions of patients, their level of knowledge, and understanding of the worth of environmental health in their lives.
Summary and Conclusion
In general, the role of nurses in the promotion of environmental health cannot be misunderstood or neglected. Nurses, as well as patients, are the main contributors to health improvement, and their knowledge determines the results that may be achieved. All nurses have to understand that environmental barriers have to be eliminated so that public health is improved. Therefore, it does not take much time for nurses to provide their patients and families with some additional information about air and water pollution, the effects of chemical or biological exposures, and simple sanitation and vaccination rules. In their turn, patients can share their personal opinions and attitudes about the importance of environmental health protection through questionnaires or other tools offered by nurses to demonstrate if their participation can be helpful in barriers’ removal.
References
Almandoz, J., Lee, M., & Marquis, C. (2017). Different shades of green: Environment uncertainty and the strategies of hybrid organizations. Emergence: Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 50, 31-67.
Donovan, G.H., Butry, D.T., Michael, Y.L., Prestemon, J.P., Liebhold, A.M., Gatziolis, D., & Mao, M.Y. (2013). The relationship between trees and human health: Evidence from the spread of the emerald ash borer. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 44(2), 139-145.
Ebi, K.L., Ogden, N.H., Semenza, J.C., & Woodward, A. (2017). Detecting and attributing health burdens to climate change. Environmental Health Perspectives.
Healthy People 2020. (2017). Environmental health.
Woolf, S.H., & Aron, L. (Eds.). (2013). U.S. health in international perspective: Shorter lives, poorer health. New York, NY: National Academies Press.