Week 4: Public Health Threats, Emergencies, and Disasters Public health threats, emergencies, and disasters are as diverse as they are devastating to a population. Infections such as pandemic influenza outbreaks cause severe illness and often death in susceptible populations like the very young or old. Disasters such as these require rapid response to vaccinate susceptible populations and educate the public on how to protect themselves from contracting the disease. Natural disasters like tsunamis, hurricanes, sudden heavy snowstorms or blizzards, and flooding also jeopardize health. These types of disasters create environmental health concerns through the spread of toxic waste, increased water-borne infections and insect-borne disease, as well as loss of power or the inability to navigate roadways during floods or blizzards. In addition, natural disasters create environmental concerns such as low food supply, destruction of crops and livestock, and lack of clean water. Natural catastrophes like these are predicted to increase in frequency and severity as long as climate change with increasing global temperatures continues unchecked through slow reaction or frank inaction by governments. Organizations across the globe are developing strategies for decreasing their carbon footprint in order to reduce pollution that contributes to climate change. Because no one is immune from this hazard, nurses must have a grasp of the growing concern for the impact of climate change and its associated implications for public health worldwide. It is important for nurses to learn how to increase their leadership capabilities to affect local, state, and national outcomes. This week, you will consider the role of the nurse in preventing illnesses due to environmental issues. Additionally, you will discuss the role of nurses in developing health promotion and health protection strategies to address global climate change health concerns. Learning Objectives Students will: Analyze the role of the nurse in preventing illnesses due to environmental issues Analyze the implications of global climate change on health* *The Assignment related to this Learning Objective is introduced this week and submitted in Week 5. Photo Credit: Photograph by Michael Rieger taken on 09/01/2005 in Louisiana - 15091. FEMA. Learning Resources Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus. Required Readings Holtz, C. (2013). Global health care: Issues and policies (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett. Chapter 14, “Global Perspectives on Nutrition” (pp. 355–384) Chapter 16, “Global Perspectives on Environmental Health” (pp. 409–427) Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Chapter 10, “Environmental Health” (pp. 217–241) Public Health Nursing: Population-Cen.

1. Week 4: Public Health Threats, Emergencies, and Disasters
Public health threats, emergencies, and disasters are as diverse
as they are devastating to a population. Infections such as
pandemic influenza outbreaks cause severe illness and often
death in susceptible populations like the very young or old.
Disasters such as these require rapid response to vaccinate
susceptible populations and educate the public on how to
protect themselves from contracting the disease.
Natural disasters like tsunamis, hurricanes, sudden heavy
snowstorms or blizzards, and flooding also jeopardize health.
These types of disasters create environmental health concerns
through the spread of toxic waste, increased water-borne
infections and insect-borne disease, as well as loss of power or
the inability to navigate roadways during floods or blizzards. In
addition, natural disasters create environmental concerns such
as low food supply, destruction of crops and livestock, and lack
of clean water. Natural catastrophes like these are predicted to
increase in frequency and severity as long as climate change
with increasing global temperatures continues unchecked
through slow reaction or frank inaction by governments.
Organizations across the globe are developing strategies for
decreasing their carbon footprint in order to reduce pollution
that contributes to climate change. Because no one is immune
from this hazard, nurses must have a grasp of the growing
concern for the impact of climate change and its associated
implications for public health worldwide. It is important for
nurses to learn how to increase their leadership capabilities to
affect local, state, and national outcomes.
This week, you will consider the role of the nurse in preventing
illnesses due to environmental issues. Additionally, you will
discuss the role of nurses in developing health promotion and
health protection strategies to address global climate change
health concerns.
Learning Objectives
Students will:

2. Analyze the role of the nurse in preventing illnesses due to
environmental issues
Analyze the implications of global climate change on health*
*The Assignment related to this Learning Objective is
introduced this week and submitted in Week 5.
Photo Credit: Photograph by Michael Rieger taken on
09/01/2005 in Louisiana - 15091. FEMA.
Learning Resources
Note:
To access this week’s required library resources, please click on
the link to the Course Readings List, found in the
Course Materials
section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Holtz, C. (2013).
Global health care: Issues and policies
(2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Chapter 14, “Global Perspectives on Nutrition” (pp. 355–384)
Chapter 16, “Global Perspectives on Environmental Health”
(pp. 409–427)
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2016).
Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the
community
(9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Chapter 10, “Environmental Health” (pp. 217–241)
Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the
Community, 9th Ed. by Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. Copyright
2015 by Elsevier Health Science Books. Reprinted by
permission of Elsevier Health Science Books via the Copyright
Clearance Center.
Veenema, T. G., Griffin, A., Gable, A. R., MacIntyre, L.,
Simons, N., Couig, M. P., … Larson, E. (2016). Nurses as
leaders in disaster preparedness and response—A call to action.
Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48
(2), 187–200.

3. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Required Media
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2010a).
Public and global health: Global emergencies and disasters
[Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note:
The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.
TED. (2015a).
Why climate change is a threat to human rights.
Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/mary_robinson_why_climate_change
_is_a_threat_to_human_rights
Note:
The approximate length of this media piece is 22 minutes.
Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, talks about the
effects of climate change on human rights in poorer populations
where some islands or lowlands are beginning to submerge as
sea waters rise.
TED. (2016b).
The case for optimism on climate change.
Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/al_gore_the_case_for_optimism_on_
climate_change
Note:
The approximate length of this media piece is 25 minutes.
Former Vice President Al Gore speaks practically about global
warming and offers some reasons we should feel optimistic
about recent developments and changes in outcomes. His
message is that people are changing their attitudes about global
warming into action to stop the warming trend.

4. Writing Resources and Program Success Tools
Document:
AWE Checklist (4000) (Word document)
This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it
meets academic writing standards for this course.
Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General
templates: APA course paper template with advice (6th ed.).
Retrieved May 20, 2016, from
http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/ld.php?content_id=7980455
Dr. Mary Bassett (Health Commissioner of New York City)
discusses why physicians, nurses, and other health care
professionals should not keep silent about health care
disparities, based on her insights from her work in Zimbabwe.
Discussion: Nurses Working to Prevent
Disease at Home
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) (2016), a vaccination has not been found to prevent the
Zika virus, a disease that has been transmitted to humans
through mosquito bites from mosquitoes that are most active
during the day. Zika has been found in many countries around
the globe, and its range is expanding. The symptoms of Zika are
generally mild, last about a week, and include fever, rash, joint
pain, and/or conjunctivitis. Symptoms are generally so mild that
many victims will not know they have been infected, but about
20% of those individuals who are bitten will develop Zika. The
most concerning symptom of Zika affects pregnant women,
whose babies may develop microcephaly. In general, the CDC
(2016) has recommended that people wear long-sleeved shirts
and long pants when outside and apply insect repellant
beforehand to avoid getting bitten. People who possibly have
been infected with the Zika virus are urged to use a condom
during sexual contact to avoid spreading the virus to others. In
fact, some countries, such as El Salvador, have recommended

5. that women avoid pregnancy for the next two years (
The New York Times,
1/25/16). The CDC has also recommended that any vessels or
containers of open water be protected from access to mosquitoes
so that breeding cycles are disrupted. Brazil has begun a
massive campaign to stop mosquitoes from accessing breeding
grounds by closing their access to water collection systems and
other sources of standing or still water. Could something like
the Zika virus begin in your neighborhood?
In this Discussion, you will examine your neighborhood through
the eyes of the public health nurse or a nurse epidemiologist.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Walk around a two-block radius near where you live or work.
Look to see if you can spot any areas where mosquitoes may
reproduce. These sites may include abandoned tires, rainwater
collection systems that have been installed at homes, parks or
golf courses, low sections at roadsides or near sidewalks, and
the like. You may include pictures of sites that you find to
enhance your discussion thread.
Note any positive or negative findings that you observe. Have
steps been taken to prevent mosquito breeding?
Find out what your community health department does for
mosquito abatement.
Discover who in your community you would contact to report
deficiencies/negative findings.
Determine what you can do, as a PHN, to change policy to
reduce mosquito breeding grounds in your neighborhood.
By Day 3
Post
your findings regarding mosquito breeding grounds in a two-
block radius near where you live or work. Include any
preventative strategies you can see that are already in place.
Report on the role your local health department plays in
mosquito abatement and to whom you would report negative
findings. Then, describe your role as a BSN in changing policy
to ensure a healthier climate (reduced mosquito breeding

6. grounds) in your neighborhood.
Support your response with references from the professional
nursing literature.
Note Initial Post:
A 3-paragraph (at least 250–350 words) response. Be sure to
use
evidence
from the readings and include
in-text citations
. Utilize
essay-level
writing practice and skills, including the use of
transitional material
and
organizational frames
. Avoid quotes;
paraphrase
to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A
reference list
is required. Use the most
current evidence
(usually ≤ 5 years old).