Nurses are charged to incorporate knowledge of the environment into their nursing practice. Nurses are essential to improve environmental health through nursing education, research, and practice. A public health nurse incorporates an “upstream” focus in the community health position working with the community population. The community health nurse must consider the precautionary principle in the upstream focus. The nurse has to consider how the core functions of public health will be applied.

1. What strategic actions does the community health nurse need to consider as part of the upstream framework?

2. The community health nurse is using the precautionary principle in the upstream framework in the community. What is the precautionary principle and how is it applied to public health and the core functions?

3. The core functions of public health can be applied to public health nursing. What are the core functions of public health?