Environmental Health
The primary dictum for registered nurses, as health care professionals, is First, do no harm. In the increasingly complex environment in which health care is delivered today, registered nurses are the premiere advocates for the safety and quality of:
- Patient care
- Registered nurses and other health care workers
- Health care practices and products
According to Standard 17 of the Standards of Professional Nursing Practice found in Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, 3rd Edition, “The registered nurse practices in an environmentally safe and healthy manner.”
ANA Resources
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ANA Principles of Environmental Health for Nursing Practice with Implementation Strategies
Nursing as a health care profession and environmental health as a public health discipline share many of the same roots. This document articulates and expands on ten principles to guide registered nurses in providing nursing care in a manner that is environmentally safe and healthy. By doing so, this document challenges nurses to rediscover their profession’s traditional environmental health roots and to operate from these roots and principles in their roles as health care advocates and providers. -
Global Climate Change and Human Health
ANA Resolution 2008 HOD -
Healthy Food in Health Care
ANA Resolution 2008 HOD -
Nurses' Role in Recognizing Educating and Advocating for Healthy Energy Choices
2012 ANA HOD Resolution -
Inappropriate Use of Antimicrobials in Agriculture
ANA 2004 House of Delegates Resolution -
Safety and Effectiveness of Reprocessed Single Use Devices in Healthcare
ANA Resolution 2010 House of Delegates
Additional Resources
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CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health
bills itself as a “one-stop shop for environmental public health data”. -
EPA’s website on Children’s Environmental Health
Online Resources for Healthcare Providers -
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
A network of nurses from around the country (and world) who are acting on the notion that our environment and health are inextricably connected.
