Consider The Community Surrounding Your School Of Nursing ✓ Solved

Consider the community surrounding your school of nursing. P

Consider the community surrounding your school of nursing. Pick two environmental conditions and assess these conditions. Where do you think you could locate data to support your observations?

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction

This assessment examines two environmental conditions commonly affecting communities surrounding schools of nursing: (1) water quality (including harmful algal blooms and contaminant exposure) and (2) ambient air pollution. Each condition is assessed for its local health impacts, vulnerable populations, observable indicators, and practical data sources for evidence-based monitoring and intervention planning.

1. Water Quality

Assessment: Water quality issues include contamination of drinking water with chemical contaminants (e.g., nitrates, lead), microbial pathogens, and episodic events such as harmful algal blooms (HABs) in surface waters. HABs produce cyanotoxins that cause skin, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and neurological symptoms in humans and animals (CDC, 2020). Chronic low-level exposures to contaminants such as nitrates and industrial chemicals are associated with reproductive, developmental, and chronic disease risks (State Water Board, 2019).

Vulnerable populations: Infants, pregnant women, elderly residents, immunocompromised individuals, subsistence fishers, and households relying on private wells are at higher risk (USGS, 2020; CDC, 2020).

Observable indicators and local consequences: Elevated concentrations of nitrates, coliform bacteria in well tests, detection of cyanotoxins in surface waters, reports of fish kills, and increased emergency department visits for gastrointestinal or hepatic complaints during HAB events are useful local indicators (Paerl & Otten, 2013).

Data sources to support observations: Reliable data can be obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) water-quality monitoring networks, state water resources control boards, county public health departments, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), and university or state-led HAB monitoring programs (USGS, 2020; EPA, 2021). Local water utility Consumer Confidence Reports (annual CCRs) provide community-level contaminant summaries. Community-based data such as private well testing results and reports from local clinics or poison control centers also add valuable context (EWG, 2020).

2. Ambient Air Pollution

Assessment: Ambient air pollution—especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)—remains a major driver of respiratory, cardiovascular, and cognitive morbidity (Cohen et al., 2017). In many valleys and urban areas, topographical and meteorological conditions can exacerbate pollutant accumulation, producing persistent poor air quality days that increase emergency visits for asthma and heart disease.

Vulnerable populations: Children, older adults, people with preexisting cardiopulmonary disease, outdoor workers, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups who live nearer pollution sources are most affected (Lelieveld et al., 2015).

Observable indicators and local consequences: Frequent exceedances of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM2.5 or ozone, increased school absences for asthma, and higher pharmacy or ED utilization for respiratory conditions are measurable consequences (EPA, 2021).

Data sources to support observations: Federal and state air monitoring networks (AirNow, EPA), regional air quality management districts, and satellite-derived air quality estimates provide robust data streams (EPA, 2021). Local health department surveillance data, hospital admission records, school absenteeism logs, and occupational health reports can be linked to air quality metrics to demonstrate health impacts (WHO, 2016).

Integrating Environmental and Health Data for Nursing Practice

For community nursing, linking environmental monitoring data to health indicators enables targeted interventions. For water quality, nurses can use local well-testing programs, county water advisories, and Poison Control Center reports to identify hotspots and prioritize education or resource linkage (USGS, 2020; State Water Board, 2019). For air pollution, nurses can incorporate daily Air Quality Index (AQI) information into care plans, advising patients with asthma or heart disease about exposure reduction strategies and medication planning on poor air-quality days (EPA, 2021).

Community assessments should include GIS mapping of environmental exposures (e.g., proximity to industrial emitters or agricultural runoff areas), demographic overlays to highlight vulnerable populations, and trend analysis from monitoring networks. Partnering with local environmental agencies, academic institutions, and community organizations enhances data access and credibility (San Joaquin County Public Health, 2019).

Recommended Data Sources and How to Use Them

  • USGS Water Data: Use for real-time surface water and groundwater quality trends and for comparing chemical and microbial parameters against standards (USGS, 2020).
  • EPA and State Water Boards: Query SDWIS and state databases for regulated contaminant violations and consumer confidence reporting (EPA, 2021; State Water Board, 2019).
  • Local Health Departments: Access community health assessments, clinic visit data, and outbreak reports to link exposures to health outcomes (San Joaquin County Public Health, 2019).
  • AirNow/EPA Air Monitoring: Obtain AQI and pollutant-specific time series to correlate with respiratory and cardiovascular events (EPA, 2021).
  • Regional Air Districts: Use localized monitoring and emissions inventory data to identify sources and regulatory actions (Lelieveld et al., 2015).
  • Academic and NGO Databases: Harmful algal bloom monitoring, EWG Tap Water Database, and peer-reviewed studies provide interpretive context and risk thresholds (Paerl & Otten, 2013; EWG, 2020).

Implications for Nursing Interventions

Nurses play a central role in community education, surveillance, advocacy, and triage. Practical interventions include promoting well testing and point-of-use treatment for private wells, advising on fish consumption advisories during HABs, developing clinic protocols to screen for exposure-related illnesses, and coordinating with schools to mitigate outdoor exposures on high AQI days (CDC, 2020; EPA, 2021). Advocacy for stronger monitoring, improved infrastructure, and community resilience planning remains a core nursing public health function (WHO, 2016).

Conclusion

Water quality and ambient air pollution are two high-impact environmental conditions that surround many nursing schools and their communities. Assessments should combine environmental monitoring data with health surveillance to identify risks and tailor interventions. Key data sources—USGS, EPA, state water boards, AirNow, regional air districts, and local public health departments—provide the evidence base needed for nursing-led prevention, education, and advocacy strategies.

References

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020). Harmful algal blooms: Health effects and prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/habs
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2021). Air quality and emissions data. https://www.epa.gov/air-data
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2021). Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). https://www.epa.gov/enviro/sdwis
  • Environmental Working Group (EWG). (2020). Tap water database. https://www.ewg.org/tapwater
  • Cohen, A. J., Brauer, M., Burnett, R., et al. (2017). Estimates and 25-year trends of the global burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution. Environmental Research, 166, 201–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.03.050
  • Paerl, H. W., & Otten, T. G. (2013). Harmful cyanobacterial blooms: Causes, consequences, and controls. Microbial Ecology, 65(4), 995–1010. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-012-0159-y
  • U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). (2020). National water quality program: Data and tools. https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa
  • California State Water Resources Control Board. (2019). Drinking water program: Contaminants and monitoring. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water
  • San Joaquin County Public Health Services. (2019). Community health assessment and improvement plan. https://www.sjcphs.org/CHA
  • Lelieveld, J., Evans, J. S., Fnais, M., Giannadaki, D., & Pozzer, A. (2015). The contribution of outdoor air pollution sources to premature mortality on a global scale. Nature, 525, 367–371. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15371

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