Environmental Health Issues in School

The environment is a primary determinant of health, and environmental health hazards affect all aspects of life and all areas of nursing practice. Indoor and outdoor environment in the school can affect the student’s health. Children spend their time in many different settings, at home, in early learning and child care facilities, outdoors in their communities and in the school environment.

In response to a growing awareness of the need to enhance occupational and environmental health content, nurses have great responsibility of preventing the students from having health problems. Nurses alone cannot do this and the support from the administrators of the schools is highly needed.

Inside the Classroom
Potential Concerns
1. Chalk-
Effects to the students: This can trigger asthma to a student who has one
Recommendations: Encourage choosing a non-toxic product.

2. Arts and Science supplies-
Effects to the students: Many products and materials we use everyday can be toxic to children and ingestion can cause poisoning
Recommendations: Use of non-harmful products

3. Radiation (e.g. projector, t.v and computer)
Effects to the students: It can affect the vision of the student
Recommendations: Proper distance from the equipment

Outside the Classroom
Potential Concerns
1. Air Pollution
Effects to the students: Primary causes of respiratory disease
Recommendations: Reduce vehichle emission around the school

2. Bacteria
Effects to the students: Infection
Recommendations: Promote cleanliness and proper handwashing

3. Mosquitoes
Effects to the students: Dengue
Recommendations: Avoid staying in areas with stagnant water

4. Rusts
Effects to the students: May lead to tetanus
Recommendations: Proper maintenance of school facilities

5. UV Radiation
Effects to the students: May lead Skin Cancer
Recommendations:Encourage the use of sunscreen protection and hats;
Providing adequate shelter

The table above shows some samples of the things that can affect the health of the students. In this regard, environmental influences on health so widespread and so it is important that in Nursing practice assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention and evaluation are done. A nurse should be able to indentify the relationaship between the environment and the students for the school to have a better assessment on the things that were listed above.

What will be the ultimate role of the nurse here? Who shall be the nurse main target? In your posting, your target is the school children. But how about the school staffs, Is there ways they can be refrain from this environmental hazards? How does the school administration resolves issues that concerns both their staffs and the school children?

We apologize for the late response. This is the final version of our Paper on Environmental Health. Hope this answers questions of ceemendoza...




Guide Questions
1)How can the nurses promote optimal health to all the students and staff at schools?
2) Are nurses really ready to face the 21st century challenge in environmental issues?
3)Are the nurses equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to address environmental health issues in school and in other settings?
4)How can educational institutions help the nurses in making them prepared and trained for the environmental health and occupational / school content?
5)Whose responsibility is the continued education for the nurses? The school administration or the nurses themselves?


In the 21st century, both the global and local environmental issues are being dealt. The staffs and students of different academic institutions come across to the health care system for enlightenment on how to go about identifying and reducing health risks that are directly linked with environmental goings-on (through exposure to hazards). The health care system also gives the diagnosis and possible treatment to the disease that might be caused by the environmental exposure to hazards. This is where the role of the nurses comes into play. Nurses are usually the first point of contact for the people in schools, and are in the positions to provide substantial support. Unfortunately, the same nurses are not formally trained and therefore are not prepared in the field of environmental health.


To put into simple terms, environment, health, nursing and people are all interconnected. The environment is the primary determinant of health, and environmental hazards affect all forms of life and all scopes of nursing practice. Nurses have the advantage and are in the best positions to address environmental health concerns of all people. This is due to the fact that nurses are trusted by the public, have the advantage of close connections with medical doctors, the largest group of health care professionals, have a great diversity in their locations or settings of practice, and nursing ethics and values fit the disease prevention and social justice that are very much present in environmental health. Both the children and staff spend their time in many different settings: at home, in work places, child care facilities, outdoors in their communities and in the school environment.


Inside the Classroom
Potential Concerns Effects to the staffs / students Recommendations
1. Chalk This can trigger asthma to a student who has one Encourage choosing a non-toxic product.
2. Arts and Science supplies Many products and materials we use everyday can be toxic to children and ingestion can cause poisoning Use of non-harmful products
3. Radiation (e.g. projector, t.v and computer) It can affect the vision of the student Proper distance from the equipment.
Outside the Classroom
Potential Concerns Effects to the students / staff Recommendations
1. Air Pollution Primary causes of respiratory disease Reduce vehichle emission around the school
2. Bacteria Infection Promote cleanliness and proper handwashing
3. Mosquitoes Dengue Avoid staying in areas with stagnant water
4. Rusts May lead to tetanus Proper maintenance of school facilities
5. UV Radiation May lead Skin Cancer Encourage the use of sunscreen protection and hats.
Providing adequate shelter


The table above shows some samples of the things that can affect the health of the students and employees. In this regard, environment influences health direclty and so it is important that the nurses perform nursing practice assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention and evaluation. A nurse should be able to identify the relationaship between the environment and the people for the school to have a better assessment on the things that were listed above.


It is the responsibility of school nurses to perform the following: 1) provide for the physical and emotional safety of the school community; 2) monitor immunizations, assure appropriate exclusion from and re-entry into school, 3) report communicable diseases as required by law; 4) assess the physical environment of the school and 5) take actions to improve health and safety. Such activities may include an assessment of the playground, indoor air quality evaluation, a review of patterns of illness or injury to determine a source of concern, or providing health education. As a member of the coordinated school health team, it is the role of the nurse to promote well-being and health of all school members through collaborative efforts.


In response to the situation that there is a need to improve environmental health and school/occupational content in the practice of nursing, the group proposes that either there be continued education through attending trainings, workshops or seminars provided by the academic institutions or that the nurses themselves find the initiative to do so. Nurses should participate as members and leaders in interdisciplinary teams that address environmental health problems.


Moreover, it would be much better if these academic institutions themselves offer this kind of education that there will be the formulation of a new curriculum that will hone nurses, giving them vital competencies and knowledge in environmental health. In addition, certain academic institutions would serve as places for research about environmental hazards that might lead in establishing research centers or multidisciplinary studies in the long run. All of research works will be incorporated in the material on individuals’ and communities’ environmental health into training for health care providers and other professionals. In the end, there will be a harmonized collection and dissemination of data.

how will the school nurse be able to convince the school board that all these (health education, etc.)are necessary? who will be the nurse's partner in coming up with the programs? (Usually per school there is only one nurse).

I agree that all those should be check, the immunizations, assessment and the like, but the thing is i believe that the school is not really funding this health check ups, and were not aware that these are necessities. Your group recommendations are ideal and i certainly agree that these should be implemented especially now a days that climate change affects our health. The challenge is how are you going to convince the school/board of directors of these programs and if there is no fund, how are you going to implement these?

Your group stated that it is the role of the nurse to promote well-being and health of all school members through collaborative efforts in which I strongly agree. You have pleasant recommendations and we strongly believe that such recommendations are to be implemented, but the main concern here is how are you going to implement them if there no financial supports to empower your proposed actions such as education through attending trainings, workshops or seminars?

Thank you arnie and nina.
As a school nurse myself, i can testify that schools have allocated budget for the health services of students and employees. This includes annual medical and dental check-up, medicine and clinic supplies, even accident insurances. All for ensuring the wellness of everyone in the school. School administrators are also open and are welcoming proposals from the medical team of the school.But this is only as far as the people's health on their institution is concerned. Trainings and seminars for nurses are not yet being addressed. Perhaps, this challenge needs one voice from us nurses and from the higher health institution.We could also initiate on ourselves continiung education.

In addition to that Seminars is one way that nursing students can improved and as well as the Staffs in continuing education. We can a test that during our college days.Budget for trainings and development of the students is the priority of the schools were allocated.