GOING GREENER.

Small changes in lab practices and purchasing can lead to big gains in environmental sustainability. Sarah Webb looks at the steps labs can take to boost productivity, benefit people, and protect the planet.

Implementing the Use of Chemical-Free Products in a Perinatal Unit.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a process to identify, adopt, and increase individual awareness of the use of chemical-free products in perinatal hospital units and to develop leadership skills of the fellow/mentor pair through the Sigma Theta Tau International Maternal-Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy (STTI MCHNLA). DESIGN: Pretest/posttest quality improvement project. SETTING: Tertiary care 80-bed perinatal unit. PATIENTS: Mothers and newborns on perinatal unit. INTERVENTIONS/MEASUREMENTS: The chemical hazard ratings of products currently in use and new products were examined and compared. Chemical-free products were selected and introduced to the hospital system, and education programs were provided for staff and patients. We implemented leadership tools taught at the STTI MCHNLA to facilitate project success. Pre- and postproject evaluations were used to determine interest in the use of chemical-free products and satisfaction with use of the new products. Cost savings were measured. RESULTS: Products currently in use contained potentially harmful chemicals. New, chemical-free products were identified and adopted into practice. Participants were interested in using chemical-free products. Once new products were available, 71% of participants were positive about using them. The fellow and mentor experienced valuable leadership growth throughout the project. CONCLUSIONS: The change to chemical-free products has positioned the organization and partner hospitals as community leaders that set a health standard to reduce environmental exposure for patients, families, and staff. The fellow and mentor learned new skills to assist in practice changes in a large organization by using the tools shared in the STTI MCHNLA.

Integrating sustainability and health care.

Unsustainable development around the world has contributed to ecological degradation and human suffering while compromising the ability of ecosystems and social institutions to support human life. The United States health care system and its institutions are significant contributors to unsustainable development, but leaders of change are emerging from the health care arena. Health professionals, including primary care providers, are poised to serve as models for sustainability and to facilitate the necessary transformation toward more sustainable practices. Health professionals must, within a practical framework, embrace an objective definition of sustainability and then act to achieve it.