Fundamental Concepts for Environmental Health Nursing

Nursing is a unique profession that addresses environmental health risks by understanding the vulnerabilities of different patient populations, examining the physiological impacts, utilizing evidence, and developing a plan to treat or prevent illness. This self-paced course offers a comprehensive introduction to environmental health and the nurse’s role in practice. Learners will explore the theoretical and historical basis of environmental health nursing, as well as the key concepts of toxicology, the exposome, the precautionary principle, and risk assessment. 

By the completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Explain the theoretical basis of nursing in relation to environmental health.
• Describe the historical development of environmental health nursing and its current practice.
• Recognize how planetary processes serve as a foundational element in understanding environmental hazards to human health.
• Compare and interpret the four key concepts and underlying principles of environmental health nursing.

Required Activities:

1. Complete an anonymous pre-course survey. 
2. Complete a pretest. 
3. Watch the narrated PowerPoint and participate in the knowledge self-checks.
4. Achieve a post-test score of ≥75%. 

Presenter: Dr. Bernadette M. Longo, PhD, RN, PHNA-BC, CNL, FAAN

Format: During this 2 hour course we cover topics on environmental health risks, examining the physiological impacts, utilizing evidence, and developing a plan to treat or prevent illness.

Duration: 120 minutes 

Audience: Registered Nurses, Nurse Leaders, Educators, Pre-Licensure Nursing Students

Setting: Video and Powerpoint