Environmental Influences on Health

Question 1

Four basic environmental principles

Answer 1

• Everything is connected to everything else, but some things are connected more tightly than others
• Everything has to go someplace
• The solution to pollution is dilution
• Everything is constantly changing

Question 2

Why the environment is important to health

Answer 2

Human dependence

-air, water, soil, food supply

Question 3

*What is I PREPARE

Answer 3

mnemonic to help asses the environmental exposure history

Question 4

*What does I PREPARE stand for

Answer 4

I-investigate potential exposures
P- present work
R- residence
E- environmental concerns
P-past work
A- activities
R- referrals and resources
E- educate

Question 5

Immediate effects r/t environmental health

Answer 5

Effects seen at time of incident

ex/ lab accident, CO poisioning

Question 6

Long range effects r/t environmental health

Answer 6

Effects seen over time. Or they take time to appear or build up

ex/ lead poisoning, dioxins, espestous

Question 7

Trans-generational effects r/t environmental health

Answer 7

Effects seen over generations

ex/ agent orange

Question 8

*Four types of environmental health assessment tools

Answer 8

• Windshield survey
• Environmental databases
• Environmental health assessment form
• inquire/observe about unintended environmental exposures

Question 9

Environmental stressors that nurses need to consider

Answer 9

• Ones directly assaulting human health (lead poisoning, air pollution)
• Ones that damage society’s goods (air pollution effects on buildings)
• Ones that damage the quality of life (noise and litter)
• ones that interfere with ecological balance and other forms of life (global warming)