Occupational & Environmental Health Nursing

1. Advance the state of the science and improve the state of health by preparing nurses to lead occupational and environmental and translational research, educational initiatives, practice, including planning, implementing and evaluating evidence-based projects and policies specifically focused on Central Appalachia’s industries, culture, and environment.

2. Promote collaborative and interdisciplinary training through integration of the OEHN program with others on campus (e.g., UK-CARES) by matching PhD nursing students with current research projects and other funded projects in Appalachia as well as connecting DNP nursing students with ongoing community engagement program planning and evaluation to prevent injury and disease and promote worker health.

3. Increase the capacity of schools of nursing in the central Appalachian region to incorporate occupational/environmental health in their curricula.

4. Enhance opportunities for outreach and education of occupational/environmental health nursing through continuing education.

UK’s BREATHE research team, formerly led by Dr. Ellen Hahn (past Director, OEHN program and Other Significant Contributor), focuses on reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke and radon through research, education, surveillance, community-engagement, and policy development in treatment and prevention. Drs. Zim Okoli and Amanda Fallin-Bennett are critical members of the BREATHE team and they address important topics in the Special Populations division for the mental health and LGBTQ* communities, respectively.

The RICH Program, led by Drs. Debra Moser and Terry Lennie, is an international interdisciplinary program renowned for its outstanding research and mentorship of PhD nurse scholars. The RICH Heart program focuses on building interdisciplinary research and has a deep history of funding and engaging in community research in Appalachia related to CVD and associated risk factors. Drs. Jennifer Miller and Lovoria Williams are active members of the program engaging in long-term care and diabetes research, respectively. Further, Dr. Gia Mudd-Martin is the Director of Community Engagement and Research Core in UK’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) and directs the Appalachian Translational Research Network (ATRN).

The Center for Perinatal Research and Wellness led by Dr. Kristin Ashford, studies the effects of tobacco, electronic cigarettes, opiate, and other drug use on the health of mother and child offering evidence-based interventions to help mothers in need. Dr. Ana Maria Linares contributes to the Center with her research interests in the promotion of breast-feeding, workplace policies, and its influence on the long-term health outcomes for children. All three programs include current and future practice and research situated in central Appalachia, and occupational and environmental health dimensions that create the cornerstone for the Appalachian OEHN training program.