Abstract

Ambient air pollution is a significant public health concern in New Mexico and contributes to respiratory disease, cardiovascular illness, and adverse pregnancy outcomes (Dominski et al., 2021; Di et al., 2022). Despite well-established evidence linking environmental exposures to health outcomes, environmental exposure screening is not routinely incorporated into clinical practice. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to improve environmental health literacy (EHL) among advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in New Mexico and to increase their intention to integrate ambient air pollution exposure screening and mitigation counseling into routine clinical practice. A virtual educational intervention guided by the Environmental Health Literacy framework was delivered to APRNs across the state. The presentation addressed regional pollution sources, vulnerable populations, associated health outcomes, and practical strategies for exposure assessment and mitigation counseling. Participants received a digital toolkit containing screening prompts and evidence-based environmental health resources. A total of 41 individuals attended the presentation, and 24 participants completed a post-intervention survey adapted from the CPD-REACTION instrument. Findings demonstrated strong behavioral intention among participants, with 100% reporting intent to assess environmental exposures and to communicate mitigation strategies in clinical practice. Participants also reported confidence (70.8%) and perceived usefulness (91.6%) of environmental exposure assessment in patient care. Results suggest that brief educational interventions, paired with practical clinical tools, can improve readiness to address environmental health risks. This project supports the integration of environmental health literacy into advanced nursing education and clinical practice and highlights opportunities for statewide implementation.

Keywords: Air pollution, environmental health literacy, advanced practice registered nurses, screening, nursing education, New Mexico, and health disparities.

Language

English

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Level of Degree

Doctoral

First Committee Member

Heidi Honegger Rogers

Second Committee Member

Roberta Lavin

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