Nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals are taught to care for everyone-regardless of their socioeconomic background. We strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for all of our patients. We continue to learn and hone our skills by attending conferences (such as the National Conference for Nurse Practitioners, May 11-14, 2016, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida) and adapting to ever-changing technology and patient care demands.
Now, imagine this was your family: Everyone's hair is falling out, but most dramatically, your 18-year-old daughter has lost chunks of hair from her head, and mom's eyelashes are completely gone. Your 3-year-old twins repeatedly break out in rashes (one has even stopped growing), and your 14-year-old son is taken to the ED because of severe abdominal pain, which now occurs too often. What is going on? Officials finally determine that the culprit is lead.1
Everyone across the United States has been appalled by the crisis in Flint, Michigan, where the water is contaminated with toxic levels of lead, a highly dangerous chemical that can cause damage to the brain, nervous system, kidneys, liver, and bones. Lead exposure at any level is considered unsafe; the neurologic and behavioral effects of lead poisoning are thought to be irreversible, particularly in vulnerable populations, such as young children, pregnant women, and the poor. It is unconscionable to believe that officials knew about the lead levels for months and did not act.2 Now the world is watching.
Patient Safety Awareness Week
March 13-19, 2016, is Patient Safety Awareness Week. This annual education campaign, sponsored by the National Patient Safety Foundation, is aimed at raising awareness about healthcare safety. Typically, activities target patients, their families, and staff in hospitals or other facilities. A statement on the website promoting the week reads, "The focus of this campaign is patient engagement and emphasizes the importance of the relationship between providers and patients and their families. Enhanced communication begins with an informed and engaged patient and helps to lead to safer care."3
The 2016 theme "United in Safety" might aptly apply to the community of Flint: The focus of this public outcry is citizen engagement and emphasizes the importance of the relationship between government officials and voting citizens. Enhanced communication begins with an informed and engaged citizenry and helps lead to city policies that guarantee safer health conditions in the community. Citizens and others across the country have joined in a united effort for transparency, accountability, and action to ensure the health of Flint's most vulnerable.
Healthy People 2020: Reducing blood lead levels
A Healthy People 2020 objective in environmental health is to reduce blood lead levels in children. The most important step that parents, healthcare providers, school personnel, and others can take is to prevent lead exposure before it occurs. The CDC offers clinical guidelines for prevention, tips for parents, and resources to educate children, such as a downloadable coloring book. Environmental health has become part of the curriculum in many schools of nursing. It is particularly relevant in discussions about lead poisoning because of the potential irreversible damage of undiagnosed toxicity.
And as in Flint, CDC data affirm the fact that there is a disparate increase in the risk of exposure for children from lower socioeconomic strata and minority race/ethnicity. After prevention, healthcare providers should assess risk factors in the environment, screen children at risk with a blood test, and immediately initiate appropriate therapy for those who test positive. Results should be reported to your local health department and consult/refer as indicated. As in Flint, managing lead exposure is a community responsibility.
Jamesetta Newland, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, DPNAP
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF [email protected]
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