Question 1

The employee health nurse working for a large urban construction company examines the Air Quality Index (AQI) daily to determine if there are any risks for workers. Today the AQI measures 120 for the city. This means that for employees she will need to:

Accepted Answer

An AQI of 120 falls in the range of 101-150, which indicates that air quality is "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups." This means that people with respiratory or heart conditions, children, and older adults may experience health effects, and they should be informed accordingly.

Question 2

A nursing instructor is holding a lecture on environmental health and explaining that gene environment interaction:

Accepted Answer

Gene-environment interaction can influence the risk of developing diseases, either by increasing susceptibility or providing a protective effect, depending on the nature of the interaction.

Question 3

The public health nursing student learns that the need for environmental justice extends to disadvantaged populations, who, as a result of low income, age, health status, race, or other social indices of susceptibility, are at greatest risk of exposure to environmental hazards because of which of the following problems? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

Disadvantaged populations often face multiple challenges such as substandard housing, limited access to healthcare, inadequate nutrition, unsafe recreational areas, and employment in hazardous jobs, all of which increase their risk of exposure to environmental hazards.

Question 4

A nurse working the evening shift in the emergency department has been assigned a patient who arrived with a chief complaint of difficulty breathing after mixing household cleaning products. The nurse recognizes that this patient is suffering from exposure to which type of environmental hazard?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A nurse working the evening shift in...

Question 5

A family survived a dangerous weather event, but now they are suffering through another part of environmental risk: stress, pain, and anxiety. The nurse recognizes that these are the:

Accepted Answer

These symptoms are related to psychosocial factors, which include stress, pain, and anxiety resulting from environmental risks.

Question 6

The PHN understands that the toxicity of chemicals in children is more severe than that in older populations because of which of the following reasons? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

The answer of The PHN understands that the toxicity of...

Question 7

A PHN newly hired by a large urban hospital to run their employee health program decided to take a refresher course on how to do exposure risk assessments, which are used by policy makers and other regulators to evaluate the health effects from an environmental exposure. In these assessments, the final step in the process involves making a judgment about the risk of health problems to those who are exposed. The nurse learns that this is referred to as a(n):

Accepted Answer

Risk characterization is the final step in exposure risk assessments, where a judgment is made about the risk of health problems to those who are exposed.

Question 8

The health effects of the 2018 Camp Fire on the firefighters and residents of the area demonstrate the relationship between environmental health and personal health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the definition of environmental health, the factors external to a person, and related factors that impact behaviors that are addressed in environmental health include all but which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The WHO definition of environmental health includes physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, but not governmental factors.

Question 9

The nurse epidemiologist at a local health department receives a report that a number of children have elevated lead blood levels. She rules out a number of possible reasons and begins to focus on the local water supply because there had been a change in the water supply. She contacts the epidemiologists that worked on the Flint, Michigan, event. They recommended that she follow the steps they took in their investigation. Their investigation included examining these phases related to the exposure:

Accepted Answer

The investigation phases should include examining the situation prior to the switch, after the switch to the Flint River, after the boil advisory, and after the switch back to the original water source to comprehensively assess the impact of each phase on lead levels.

Question 10

Particulate matter varies in size, and the size determines the site of the deposition in the respiratory system. This means:

Accepted Answer

Smaller particulates can penetrate deeper into the respiratory system, reaching the alveoli and causing more harm than larger particles, which are often trapped in the upper respiratory tract.

Question 11

A PHN knows that the ambient air standard, which is the highest level of a pollutant in a specific place over a specific period of time that is not hazardous for humans, is most influenced by:

Accepted Answer

The answer of A PHN knows that the ambient air...

Question 12

While doing a physical assessment of an older adult, the nurse is concerned about the patient's history of work exposure to toxic chemicals over his lifetime. Based on reports, the levels of toxin were within normal limits, but the patient had worked in the plant for 50 years. What aspect of the exposure is she most worried about?

Accepted Answer

Bioaccumulation refers to the gradual accumulation of substances, such as toxins, in an organism. Over a long period, even low levels of exposure can lead to significant accumulation in the body, which is a concern for someone with prolonged exposure like the patient.

Question 13

John, the nurse manager in a large urban emergency department, was alerted to a number of patients who had come in with a possible exposure to a toxic substance. He begins with the epidemiological triangle to help understand:

Accepted Answer

The epidemiological triangle is a model used to understand the relationship between an agent, a host, and the environment in the development of disease. It is used to identify the factors that contribute to the occurrence of a disease and to develop strategies for prevention and control. In this case, John is using the epidemiological triangle to help understand how the environment brought the agent (toxic substance) and the host (patients) together.

Question 14

To aid a lower income family who is struggling with a pest problem in their home, a PHN recommends a program known as integrated pest management, which offers methods to deter pests. Some of these methods include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

The answer of To aid a lower income family who...

Question 15

The PHN realizes that the mere presence of an agent, even if it is known to have toxic properties, does not necessarily mean there is a risk to health. Whether or not there is an adverse response to a toxin is primarily influenced by all but which of the following:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The PHN realizes that the mere presence...

Question 16

A PHN is working with a team doing a community assessment. She has been tasked with evaluating the community's access to grocery stores, accessible transportation, outside activities, and the maintenance of its neighborhood buildings. The nurse is evaluating the:

Accepted Answer

The nurse is evaluating the "built environment," which includes aspects like access to grocery stores, transportation, outdoor activities, and the condition of neighborhood buildings.

Question 17

A PHN is helping to manage a decrease in air quality due to emissions from a chemical plant. Which term best describes the source of the decrease in air quality?

Accepted Answer

A point source refers to a single, identifiable source of pollution, such as emissions from a specific chemical plant.

Question 18

A nursing instructor is giving a lecture on environmental sustainability. The instructor explains that this is a critical issue to the global environment and an important emerging public health issue. Some of the issues addressed within environmental sustainability include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

Environmental sustainability involves managing the rates of renewable resource harvest, depletion of nonrenewable resources, and pollution creation to ensure they do not exceed the environment's capacity to handle them.

Question 19

Access to potable water has increased globally over the past decade. The WHO predicts that by 2025 50% of the world's population will:

Accepted Answer

The WHO predicts that by 2025, 50% of the world's population will live in water-stressed areas, meaning areas where the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period or when poor quality restricts its use.

Quiz 6: Environmental Health