Blog 12

1. I had a tough time finding any information about an environment team at schools close to me in San Francisco. I looked through school websites as well as the department of public health's environmental health sector and couldn't find anything about the environment. I imagine that the head of facilities addresses environmental concerns, but I'd be curious to see in what ways a full on environmental team could make an impact in a school setting.

2. You could look for major sources of pollutants - like printers. It would also be important to change air filters. People can educate themselves on common sources of pollutants and do a thorough check in the school to attempt to reduce harm. School buses should be parked away from where kids wait. Painting should occur only if the windows are open and if the area is well aerated.

3. As a community health nurse, and a nurse in general, people respect the opinions of nurses. Nurses are the most trusted profession in the United States, and with that, nurses can wield their influence into positive ways of influencing policy, as well as basic health and safety environmental factors in schools, etc. Nurses can educate educators to make sure that they are aware of the common issues that can affect kids' development and safety -such as carbon monoxide, dust, animal dander, mold, etc.

Environmental news:
I read about a study regarding microplastic contamination in the San Francisco Bay. This brings an interesting and frightening concern to light that the issue of pollution goes far beyond what the naked eye can see, and that plastic pollution is a serious issue where even microplastics exist and make a difference in the ocean.

Comments

  1. WiniKaksOctober 14, 2019 at 7:08 PM

    I like the ideas you have posted on reducing air pollutants at school. Since a lot of children have Asthma, school nurses should educate the administration on Asthma triggers and offer suggestions on how to reduce the triggers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Janna LinOctober 20, 2019 at 9:44 PM

    Hi Kathleen,
    I agree with you that community health nurses are one of the most trusted authorities on public health, and thus are effective voices in any movement promoting positive health changes. However I'm sure you at the front lines experience frustrations with lack of funding for more nurses and programs, to aid in the disseminating of information and health education. I also think that community health nurses should not be the main information source for environmental health issues, primarily because of burden of overwork and lack of expertise training in the specific area of environmental science. Rather, nurses should become part of a coalition of health practitioners, scientists, public health officials, etc....

    ReplyDelete

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