Deck 6: Environmental Health

Question 1

What is the first step the nurse would take when addressing the problem of air pollution in the community?

A) Setting standards
B) Monitoring
C) Permitting
D) Compliance

Answer 1

Permitting

Question 2

Which example contains the components necessary to form an epidemiologic triangle?

A) Pesticides, water, food
B) Lead, mercury, soil
C) Trichloroethylene, water, infants
D) Children under 12, elderly, temperature

Answer 2

Trichloroethylene, water, infants

Question 3

What is considered a nonpoint source of pollution?

A) Hazardous waste site
B) Animal waste from wildlife
C) Chlorine poured down a well
D) Stagnant water

Answer 3

Animal waste from wildlife

Question 4

How have nurses historically learned to identify a possible relationship between environmental chemical exposures and their potential harm?

A) Extrapolation by toxicologists
B) Biomonitoring
C) Completing chemistry courses
D) Observing signs and symptoms in clients

Question 5

When researching pesticides, the nurse looks at the "family" of the chemical. What similarities are found among chemicals that have been placed in the same family?

A) Route of entry into the body
B) Actions and associated risks
C) Effects that they have on the body
D) Potency and toxicity

Question 6

What statement accurately describes the characteristics of epidemiology?

A) It is a science that studies the poisonous effects of chemicals.
B) It explains the association between learning disabilities and exposure to lead-based paint at the cellular level.
C) It helps nurses understand the strength of the association between exposure and health effects.
D) It is a method for tracking the prevalence of health outcomes.

Question 7

When would it be appropriate for a nurse to use a Geographic Information System (GIS)?

A) Recording client data collected at a foot clinic
B) Identifying areas with an increased incidence of lead poisoning
C) Evaluating effectiveness of a farm safety program
D) Scheduling health promotion programs in the community

Question 8

A public health nurse (PHN) is organizing a multidisciplinary team to address the issue of water pollution in the community. Which group of professionals would be invited to address this issue?

A) Physicians, water sanitation workers, and occupational therapists
B) Pharmacologists, radiologists, and epidemiologists
C) Nurse practitioners, pharmacologists, and environmentalists
D) Geologists, meteorologists, and chemists

Question 9

Why is it important for a nurse to have knowledge of environmental health and the effects of chemical, biological, and radiological materials?

A) They are a major cause of global warming.
B) They are often found in the air, water, and products we use.
C) They are frequently linked to the development of chronic illnesses.
D) They are products that nurses work with daily.

Question 10

A nurse is completing the first phase of a risk assessment. Which of the following questions would the nurse most likely try to answer?

A) Has the chemical been released into the environment?
B) How much and by which route of entry can the chemical enter the body?
C) Is the chemical known to be associated with a negative health effect?
D) What is the prediction for potential harm?

Question 11

A nurse fulfills the environmental health competency of "assessment and referral." Which of the following actions has the nurse most likely completed?

A) Advocating for public policy changes
B) Understanding policy framework and major pieces of legislation
C) Completing an environmental health history
D) Describing the scientific principles about environmental health

Question 12

Why is it important for nurses to understand the premises of environmental health?

A) Nurses should be able to assess risks and advocate for policies that support healthy environments.
B) Toxicologists often consult nurses about environmental pollutants.
C) Pollutant exposures such as lead are reported by nurses to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
D) Many Americans live in areas that do not meet current national air quality standards.

Question 13

A nurse working at the individual level to reduce pollution in the environment would most likely be involved in what activity?

A) Providing a tax incentive to factories that do not pollute
B) Making laws related to allowed levels of pollution in the area
C) Recycling paper, glass, cans, and plastic
D) Moving to an area with less pollution

Question 14

What is the greatest single source of air pollution in the United States?

A) Waste incineration
B) Power plants
C) Motor vehicles
D) Molds

Question 15

A nurse wants to find more information about indoor air quality. Which of the following websites would be most helpful?

A) The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
B) The American Lung Association
C) "Right to Know"
D) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Question 16

A nurse is completing an exposure history using the mnemonic I PREPARE. What data would a nurse collect when asking questions about the first "P"?

A) Present work
B) Potential exposures
C) Personal protective equipment use
D) Past work

Question 17

What term is used to refer to the basic science applied to understanding the health effects associated with chemical exposures?

A) Toxicology
B) Pharmacology
C) Chemistry
D) Environmental epidemiology

Question 18

Employees working with hazardous chemicals have the "Right to Know" about the chemicals they are working with through the creation of which resource?

A) Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
B) Consumer Confidence Report
C) Hazard Communication Standard
D) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Question 19

A city sets the standard of an acceptable level of emissions or a maximum contaminant level allowed for factories. Which concept is being applied?

A) Controlling pollution
B) Waste minimization
C) Land use planning
D) Environmental standard

Question 20

A nurse would identify which as a point source of air pollution?

A) A smoke stack
B) The number of cars and trucks
C) The amount of fossil fuel consumed in a community
D) Ground ozone levels

Question 21

A public health nurse (PHN) working with a family living in poverty is concerned about their exposure to environmental hazards. Which of the following factors should the nurse identify as possibly putting the family at risk? (Select all that apply.)

A) Limited funds to pay for health care
B) Poor nutrition
C) Homes located closer to hazardous waste sites
D) Less education
E) Unsafe working conditions

Question 22

Which environmental law sets basic structure for regulating pollutants to United States waters?

A) Safe Drinking Water Act
B) Toxic Substance Control Act
C) Clean Water Act
D) Pollution Prevention Act

Question 23

A facility is inspected after it has obtained a permit. The inspection is completed for the purpose of observing whether the plans submitted in the permit application are being implemented as approved. Which of the following environmental protection strategies is being applied?

A) Controlling pollution
B) Waste minimization
C) Land use planning
D) Environmental monitoring

Question 24

A nurse is assessing for environmental health risks in the community. Which of the following approaches would be most appropriate for the nurse to use? (Select all that apply.)

A) Asking legislators to provide a list of environmental pollutants in the area
B) Developing a list of exposures associated with urban, rural, or suburban settings
C) Assessing the risk by medium such as air, water, soil, or food
D) Dividing the environment into functional locations: home, school, workplace, and community
E) Recruiting community members to sign a petition to decrease pollution