Nursing Notes
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For many nurses, promoting environmental health has become an important part of their work. More than ever, hospitals and nurses are actively considering and adopting environmentally friendly practices and behaviors to benefit both the environment and the quality of care for their patients.

"Our nurses recognize the critical interdependence between human health and the health of the planet, and they are making both a top priority," explained Kimberly Sutphin, RN, BSN and OR clinical manager at the University of Virginia (UVA) Health System in Charlottesville, Va.

Sutphin and fellow nurses in the UVA Health System are implementing new processes that simultaneously improve patient care and reduce environmental waste. In collaboration with the hospital's Recycling and Environmental Services department and students in the School of Nursing's Clinical Nurse Leader graduate program, they recently implemented a 30-day pilot program to demonstrate the simplicity of recycling medical waste.

Following the successful pilot, Sutphin, nurses and graduate students implemented the "Waste Reduction: Go Green Initiative," a capstone project to promote additional "greening" efforts to reduce waste and increase recycling of single-use medical supplies.

Fifty-gallon recycling bins were placed in four hospital units, and nurses were educated on the types of medical materials that qualified as recyclable. Following the 30-day period, more than 13,000 gallons of recyclable IV bags, IV over-pouches, medical supply packaging, procedure trays, latex glove boxes, tube feeding cans and bags, hygiene containers and other materials were collected, saving approximately 1.8 tons of recycled materials from the landfill.

"Our results were substantial, and this project shows that nurses not only have a significant influence on human health, but on environmental issues that threaten human health," said Drew Walton, a participating UVA graduate student and now a registered nurse. "Nurses are doing their part and taking leadership to become more environmentally responsible in their practices."

Operating Room nurses at Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind., are also participating in a program to recycle medical devices after they become regulated medical waste, reducing the hospital's burden on incinerators and landfills.

"As nurses, we want to set an example and encourage environmentally responsible behaviors in the workplace," said Jill Ann Jesse, RN and OR director at Wishard. The OR has nicknamed the perioperative assistant the "Green Queen" for her supportive efforts with replacing the recycling bins that keep the program alive. "Recycling is effortless, and with education, receptivity will follow," she explained.

To learn more about eco-friendly efforts and medical waste recycling at the UVA Health System, visit www.healthsystem.virginia.edu.


Outside the walls of hospitals and clinics, community health nurses are educating and empowering communities to understand the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices.

"As a community health nurse, I assume the responsibility of a nurse and teacher," said Robyn Gilden, RN, MS and community, public and environmental health nurse. "I enjoy spending time with clients and families in the community and helping them learn about the health implications of their everyday actions."

Whether based in community centers, state health departments, schools or homes, much of their work focuses on educating and helping culturally diverse populations that may not have access to basic preventative care. Common responsibilities include teaching children proper hygiene and hand washing techniques; encouraging proper nutrition habits; providing vaccinations, hypertension screenings and sexually transmitted disease education; and identifying environmental health risks in homes of vulnerable populations.

"I am able to directly observe the barriers that may limit an individual or group's optimum health and wellness," explained Gilden. "Because of this, I can tailor my approach to educating them on how to prevent or overcome those barriers."

Community health nurses also help minimize communicable disease outbreaks by identifying the source of the disease, working to limit the outbreak and educating communities about treatment and prevention.

To learn more about community health nursing, visit www.discovernursing.com.
Barbara Sattler, RN, DRPH, FAAN
Director, Environmental Health and Education Center
University of Maryland School of Nursing
Baltimore, Md.

Q: Who or what was your inspiration for becoming a nurse?
A: I started out as an environmentalist, having been involved in the first Earth Day many years ago. While spending a year traveling around Europe, I met a number of nurses who also were traveling around the globe, working in a number of English-speaking countries. I loved this idea, and upon my return to the United States went to nursing school. That's when I realized what a rich, life-long career nursing would offer.

Q: How did you become involved in environmental health nursing?
A: I'm an avid learner, and nursing has been the thread through my master's degree and doctoral work in public health. For several years, I worked for the United Steelworkers Union addressing workers' exposures to toxic chemicals, which led me to my last two decades of focus on environmental health. I helped to create the only nursing center in the United States that focuses on human health and the environment - contaminated air, water, food, soil and products. We examine exposures and health risks where people live, learn, play and work.

Q: What advice would you offer to individuals interested in this specialty?
A: Nurses are the most trusted people for health messages, and we make sure that nurses are grounded in sound science when they speak about environmental health.

Q: How has nursing impacted your life?
A: I worked in critical care for seven years after graduating, enjoying the quick-paced and densely packed experience of intensive care, emergency room, and burn unit nursing. Instead of bedside, clinical nursing, my nursing focus is now on communities and populations. You'll find me addressing children's health risks associated with potentially toxic products and advocating for health-protective environmental policies for clean air and safe drinking water. As an environmental health nurse, I'm able to extend my commitment to a wider community and truly make a difference!