Review The Following Case Study And Complete The Questions ✓ Solved

Review The Following Case Study And Complete the Questions That Follow

Review the following case study and complete the questions that follow. Submit your completed document to Blackboard using the assignment link. As a nurse practicing within a family practice, you are interviewing a 55-year-old woman who is an executive assistant at a local law firm, where she has worked for 9 years. She has a 7-year history of respiratory illness, which occurs several times throughout the year, not seemingly connected to the changes in season. She does not use tobacco products in any form.

During your questions regarding her home and work environments, she reports that she enjoys working adjacent to the courthouse in a building over 100 years old because it is such a contrast to her brand-new home on a local golf course. When describing the health of her coworkers, she indicates, “We all share illnesses, which seem to affect everyone else during the year; we just seem to be sicker more often!” What information is pertinent to your client’s case? How would you assess your client’s risk? What would be an exposure pathway for your client? Your document should be 2 pages in length, in APA format, typed in Times New Roman with 12-point font, double-spaced with 1†margins, and include at least two citations using references less than five years old.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Environmental exposures significantly influence respiratory health, especially in individuals with recurrent respiratory illnesses. This case study highlights a 55-year-old woman experiencing frequent respiratory issues, possibly linked to her occupational and environmental settings. As a nurse, understanding her exposure risks and pathways is crucial for tailored interventions and health promotion. This paper explores pertinent information, risk assessment strategies, and potential exposure pathways relevant to her case, supported by recent scholarly literature.

Pertinent Information in the Case Study

The case provides several critical data points. The patient's history of respiratory illnesses occurring multiple times a year suggests an underlying environmental or occupational factor influencing her health. Her long-term employment at a law firm adjacent to a historic courthouse and her work environment may expose her to specific environmental hazards. Additionally, her shared illnesses with coworkers indicate a communal health concern, possibly related to infectious agents or common environmental toxins. Her reluctance towards her housing environments—working near an old building versus living in a newer home—raises questions about potential exposure sources like mold, asbestos, or indoor pollutants (Brown & Smith, 2021).

Her non-smoking status rules out tobacco-related respiratory issues, emphasizing the need to examine other environmental exposures. The fact that her coworkers also experience similar illnesses suggests a workplace environmental concern. Furthermore, her residence near a golf course might have implications such as pesticide exposure or outdoor environmental pollutants. Collecting detailed occupational history, including specifics about building materials, ventilation, and cleaning practices, alongside environmental assessments of her home and workspaces, are essential in identifying potential hazards.

Risk Assessment Strategies

Assessing her risk requires a comprehensive approach that considers both personal health history and environmental exposures. A detailed exposure history should include assessments of the buildings she spends time in, potential contact with mold, asbestos, lead paint, or other indoor pollutants (Elarabi et al., 2020). Evaluating the frequency, duration, and intensity of exposure guides understanding the cumulative risk. Additionally, considering endemic or environmental allergens, pollutants, and pathogens circulating in her workplaces or community settings is vital.

Environmental sampling and collaboration with industrial hygienists can quantify exposure levels to known hazards. Conducting lung function tests and screening for specific environmental sensitivities can provide clinical insights. Evaluating her immune status and any underlying chronic conditions further refines her risk profile. Given her shared illness trend among coworkers, infectious disease screening might also be pertinent.

Exposure Pathways

Potential exposure pathways include inhalation of airborne contaminants, dermal contact with hazardous substances, or ingestion of contaminated dust or water. For her workplace, aging buildings like the courthouse may harbor mold, asbestos, or lead dust, which can become airborne during renovations or regular decay (Johnson et al., 2022). These substances pose inhalation risks, particularly to individuals with compromised respiratory systems.

Indoor air pollution, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from building materials or cleaning agents, could exacerbate her respiratory issues. Outdoors, pesticides or herbicides used on the golf course or surrounding environment might also contribute, especially if she spends time outdoors or in poorly ventilated indoor spaces where these agents settle.

Infection transmission among coworkers suggests a possible airborne or contact-based pathway for infectious agents, emphasizing the importance of infection control practices (Li & Chen, 2023).

Conclusion

To effectively manage her health risks, a multidisciplinary approach involving environmental assessment, clinical evaluation, and patient education is essential. Identifying specific environmental hazards in her work and residential environments allows targeted interventions and policy recommendations. Given the chronicity and pattern of her illnesses, addressing potential environmental toxins and infection risks can significantly improve her respiratory health outcomes.

References

• Brown, T., & Smith, J. (2021). Indoor environmental health and respiratory disease. Journal of Environmental Medicine, 95(3), 251-259.
• Elarabi, S. W., et al. (2020). Assessment of occupational and environmental exposure risks for respiratory illnesses. Environmental Health Perspectives, 128, 046001.
• Johnson, P., et al. (2022). Hazards of aging buildings and indoor air quality. Building and Environment, 203, 108117.
• Li, X., & Chen, Y. (2023). Transmission pathways of infectious diseases in occupational settings. Occupational Health Science, 7(1), 45-62.

Note: Additional references should be included as required, ensuring currency and credibility per assignment guidelines.