ANA Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® Spotlight: Rasheda Jones, PhD, RN
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From asthma to advocacy: A nurse’s journey into environmental health and encouraging future nurses to join the movement
The environment is a powerful determinant of human health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Rasheda Jones would agree.She learned as a child that her environment and her health were intricately intertwined. As she grew up, Dr. Jones developed a strong interest in environmental health and found inspiration from early environmental justice advocates.
Childhood Illness Shapes a Passion for the Environment
“Growing up in North Carolina, I was diagnosed with asthma at an early age,” says Dr. Jones. “I read a lot about how the environment impacts our overall health.”
In North Carolina, culprits like ragweed, tree pollen, mold, and air pollution contribute to high rates of childhood asthma. Thankfully, clean air efforts have improved the air quality since Dr. Jones was a child. However, air pollution still impacts public health throughout the state — and the rest of the country.
The Impact of Community Advocacy
During her childhood, Dr. Jones also learned about the impact environmental activism can have on public health policies. In 1982, residents of Warren County, North Carolina, rose up in a 6-week protest against a toxic waste landfill in their community.
“Environmental health isn’t just science, it’s lived experience,” Dr. Jones says. “Reading about the pioneering efforts of the Warren County residents showed me how ordinary people can spark extraordinary change. Their courage inspired me to see nursing not only as caring for patients, but also as advocating for healthier communities and a more just environment.”
The Warren County protest highlighted racial and economic disparities in North Carolina that exposed communities of color and people living in poverty to higher rates of pollution. It gained national and international attention, and ultimately helped create the environmental justice movement. Environmental justice is the idea that all humans have a right to environmental protections, benefits, and involvement in policies that affect their communities.
Discovering Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
Dr. Jones got a chance to dive deeper as a graduate student at the University of California, San Francisco. In 2010, she enrolled in the Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing (OEHN) master’s program.
“When I discovered the Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing program, I saw it as more than coursework,” she says. “It was a chance to deepen my passion for environmental health and connect my nursing practice to a greater purpose.”
At the time Dr. Jones enrolled, the curriculum focused more on occupational health and workplace hazards than on concerns like nursing and climate change.
Exploring Occupational Health
“Nurses have always had a well-defined and critical role in occupational health,” Dr. Jones says. “So, part of the curriculum included visits to factories and plants where people worked.”
She remembers it being fascinating to learn about the risk of repetitive injuries, workplace injuries, and toxic chemical exposure. “I loved getting to meet with and hear from the occupational health nurses who work to help prevent those risks and care for workers.”
Concentrating on Harmful Chemicals
When it was time to write the comprehensive final paper for her master’s, Dr. Jones focused on the health impact of phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals that enhance fragrances, make plastics more pliable, and help lotions penetrate your skin.
Phthalates have a dark side, too. They interfere with the body’s endocrine system and pose a danger to pregnant mothers and babies.
“These synthetic chemicals are in so many plastics,” Dr. Jones says. “They’re in baby toys, microwavable food storage containers, flooring, cosmetics, and other common household items. They cause early onset of puberty in girls.”
Advocating for Plastic Alternatives
Dr. Jones’s research led her to advocate in her community, educating residents about the dangers of phthalates. She encouraged people to look for phthalate-free products and try alternative products made from glass and stainless steel when possible.
“This was before many laws were passed that outlawed phthalates,” she says. “Today, manufacturers are using the chemical less and less.”
Opportunities in Environmental Health for Nursing Students
There weren’t a lot of mentors to guide Dr. Jones to a career in environmental health nursing when she was a student. While she chose a different nursing career path that offered more opportunities, she maintained her passion for the environment.
“What I learned in my master’s program framed how I cared for my patients,” Dr. Jones says. “To this day, I look at health care and nursing through an environmental health lens, understanding that the environments people live, work, and play in are inseparable from their health.”
Dr. Jones celebrates the fact that nursing students today have so many more opportunities to pursue careers within the field of environmental health.
“There are opportunities to work with toxicologists, chemists, and public health specialists,” she says. “You can work in a school system or a health department. There are also roles in emergency preparedness, focusing on climate change and natural disasters.”
According to Dr. Jones, policy, education, and research are also critical pieces of environmental health. Nurses can collect and report data on environmental hazards and their effects on public health. If they work directly with patients, nurses can focus their research within their local communities and advocate for environmental protections.
Advice for Nursing Students Interested in Environmental Health
For students who want to pursue environmental health, Dr. Jones recommends researching nursing programs to see which have the richest curriculum.
“Speak to a counselor, an admissions officer, or a department chair,” she says. “If there’s a Chair of Public Health or similar department, ask if you can schedule a meeting to discuss the curriculum. Ask about the coursework as well as opportunities for practicums and clinical sites within the field.”
She also recommends students actively seek out mentors who focus on environmental health and can provide guidance and insight.
Dr. Jones also recommends getting connected with student environmental health organizations or larger organizations like the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE). Students can also explore research, training, and education opportunities through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
“From childhood asthma to graduate research, I’ve seen how deeply the environment shapes health,” Dr. Jones says. “Nurses have the power to turn those lessons into action — leading change, protecting communities, and inspiring the next generation to see health and environment as inseparable.”
Rasheda Jones, PhD, RN, is a program manager for the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® program.
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09/18/2025 8:28am CDT
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