EWG || Nurses' Health

Survey Results

Restrict to a state:

Results for 1,552 responses from all states

Current Nursing Title

no response	12 (0.8%)

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)	209 (13.5%)

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)	54 (3.5%)

Not a Nurse - Other Health Care Professional	29 (1.9%)

Registered Nurse (RN)	1248 (80.4%)


Nursing Education

no response	53 (3.4%)

Associate's	328 (21.1%)

Bachelor's	516 (33.2%)

Diploma	188 (12.1%)

Master's	408 (26.3%)

Doctoral	59 (3.8%)


Special Licences

Nurse Practitioner	147 (9.5%)

Certified Nurse Midwife	12 (0.8%)

Nurse Anesthetist	21 (1.4%)


Currently Nursing

Yes	1432 (92.3%)

No	110 (7.1%)

no response	10 (0.6%)


Years Nursing

0 (or begin/end in same year)	67 (4.3%)

0 to 5	138 (8.9%)

5 to 10	154 (9.9%)

10 to 15	181 (11.7%)

15 to 20	153 (9.9%)

20 to 25	211 (13.6%)

25 to 30	248 (16.0%)

30 to 35	223 (14.4%)

35 to 40	118 (7.6%)

40 to 45	47 (3.0%)

45 to 50	10 (0.6%)

50 to 55	2 (0.1%)


Gender

Male	92 (5.9%)

Female	1456 (93.8%)

no response	4 (0.3%)


Ethnicity

no response	5 (0.3%)

Hispanic	35 (2.3%)

Black, Non-Hispanic	66 (4.3%)

Asian (including Pacific Islanders)	40 (2.6%)

White/Caucasian, Non-Hispanic	1369 (88.2%)

Native American	11 (0.7%)

Other	26 (1.7%)


State of Residence

no response	43 (2.8%)

Alaska	19 (1.2%)

Alabama	18 (1.2%)

Arkansas	18 (1.2%)

Arizona	16 (1.0%)

California	49 (3.2%)

Colorado	14 (0.9%)

Connecticut	16 (1.0%)

Washington DC	5 (0.3%)

Delaware	25 (1.6%)

Florida	80 (5.2%)

Georgia	56 (3.6%)

Hawaii	4 (0.3%)

Iowa	15 (1.0%)

Idaho	18 (1.2%)

Illinois	30 (1.9%)

Indiana	41 (2.6%)

Kansas	9 (0.6%)

Kentucky	21 (1.4%)

Louisiana	11 (0.7%)

Massachusetts	57 (3.7%)

Maryland	108 (7.0%)

Maine	15 (1.0%)

Michigan	40 (2.6%)

Minnesota	13 (0.8%)

Missouri	35 (2.3%)

Mississippi	6 (0.4%)

Montana	24 (1.5%)

North Carolina	39 (2.5%)

North Dakota	6 (0.4%)

Nebraska	15 (1.0%)

New Hampshire	7 (0.5%)

New Jersey	37 (2.4%)

New Mexico	12 (0.8%)

Nevada	4 (0.3%)

New York	114 (7.3%)

Ohio	98 (6.3%)

Oklahoma	13 (0.8%)

Oregon	13 (0.8%)

Pennsylvania	74 (4.8%)

Rhode Island	7 (0.5%)

South Carolina	26 (1.7%)

South Dakota	3 (0.2%)

Tennessee	65 (4.2%)

Texas	75 (4.8%)

Utah	1 (0.1%)

Virginia	34 (2.2%)

Vermont	1 (0.1%)

Washington	49 (3.2%)

Wisconsin	36 (2.3%)

West Virginia	15 (1.0%)

Wyoming	2 (0.1%)


Urban/Suburban

no response	44 (2.8%)

Rural	418 (26.9%)

Suburban	657 (42.3%)

Urban	433 (27.9%)


Age


15 to 20	3 (0.2%)

20 to 25	49 (3.2%)

25 to 30	78 (5.0%)

30 to 35	121 (7.8%)

35 to 40	119 (7.7%)

40 to 45	190 (12.2%)

45 to 50	287 (18.5%)

50 to 55	347 (22.4%)

55 to 60	204 (13.1%)

60 to 65	70 (4.5%)

65 to 70	19 (1.2%)

70 to 75	5 (0.3%)

75 to 80	2 (0.1%)


Number of Children

0	457 (29.4%)

1	231 (14.9%)

2	500 (32.2%)

3	253 (16.3%)

4	77 (5.0%)

5	21 (1.4%)

6	8 (0.5%)

7	2 (0.1%)

8	3 (0.2%)


Have you ever had a miscarriage?

Yes	381 (24.5%)

No	1160 (74.7%)

no response	11 (0.7%)


Have you ever had a medically necessary abortion?

Yes	63 (4.1%)

No	1469 (94.7%)

no response	20 (1.3%)


Are you sensitive to latex?

Yes	269 (17.3%)

No	1209 (77.9%)

no response	74 (4.8%)


Cigarettes per week

0	1349 (86.9%)

1 pack	19 (1.2%)

1/2 pack	21 (1.4%)

2 packs	19 (1.2%)

<10	36 (2.3%)

>2 packs	108 (7.0%)


Have you ever smoked? (missing data, omited in original survey)

Yes	4 (0.3%)

No	4 (0.3%)

no response	1544 (99.5%)


Alcoholic drinks per week

0 (or begin/end in same year)	833 (53.7%)

0 to 5	600 (38.7%)

5 to 10	92 (5.9%)

10 to 15	16 (1.0%)

15 to 20	11 (0.7%)


The chemicals that I am exposed to at work may affect my health

no response	108 (7.0%)

strongly disagree	57 (3.7%)

disagree	107 (6.9%)

neutral	267 (17.2%)

agree	576 (37.1%)

strongly agree	437 (28.2%)


The chemicals that I am exposed to at work may affect the health of my family

no response	110 (7.1%)

strongly disagree	148 (9.5%)

disagree	307 (19.8%)

neutral	397 (25.6%)

agree	411 (26.5%)

strongly agree	179 (11.5%)


Information on the health hazards of chemicals used at my place of employment is adequate and readily available

no response	111 (7.2%)

strongly disagree	144 (9.3%)

disagree	234 (15.1%)

neutral	296 (19.1%)

agree	514 (33.1%)

strongly agree	253 (16.3%)


Occupational Health is taken seriously at my place of employment

no response	109 (7.0%)

strongly disagree	143 (9.2%)

disagree	286 (18.4%)

neutral	301 (19.4%)

agree	461 (29.7%)

strongly agree	252 (16.2%)


Chemical exposure concerns are significant part of the occupational health program at my place of employment.

no response	116 (7.5%)

strongly disagree	162 (10.4%)

disagree	338 (21.8%)

neutral	342 (22.0%)

agree	408 (26.3%)

strongly agree	186 (12.0%)


My facility should do more to protect nurses from potentially dangerous chemical exposures

no response	113 (7.3%)

strongly disagree	88 (5.7%)

disagree	223 (14.4%)

neutral	410 (26.4%)

agree	383 (24.7%)

strongly agree	335 (21.6%)


Nurses I work with have enough time to use safety precautions around chemicals they work with

no response	120 (7.7%)

strongly disagree	172 (11.1%)

disagree	317 (20.4%)

neutral	335 (21.6%)

agree	453 (29.2%)

strongly agree	155 (10.0%)


Food and/or drink are consumed around where chemicals are used

no response	119 (7.7%)

strongly disagree	365 (23.5%)

disagree	345 (22.2%)

neutral	205 (13.2%)

agree	402 (25.9%)

strongly agree	116 (7.5%)


On the job exposure to: (any exposure)

alcohol_gel	1489 (95.9%)

antivirals	737 (47.5%)

chemotherapeutic	636 (41.0%)

cleansing	1505 (97.0%)

ethylene_oxide	446 (28.7%)

glutaraldehyde	805 (51.9%)

housekeeping	1427 (91.9%)

latex	1465 (94.4%)

mercury	1189 (76.6%)

nit_ox	559 (36.0%)

pharms	1478 (95.2%)

radiation	830 (53.5%)

sterilize	856 (55.2%)


On the job exposure to: (pregnant with any exposure)

alcohol_gel	462 (29.8%)

antivirals	204 (13.1%)

chemotherapeutic	197 (12.7%)

cleansing	476 (30.7%)

ethylene_oxide	139 (9.0%)

glutaraldehyde	255 (16.4%)

housekeeping	442 (28.5%)

latex	465 (30.0%)

mercury	416 (26.8%)

nit_ox	181 (11.7%)

pharms	473 (30.5%)

radiation	297 (19.1%)

sterilize	281 (18.1%)


Other exposures reported:

adhesive/removers	air freshener/aerosols

asbestos	bleach

body fluids/solids	copier toner

ether	exhaust fumes

formaldehyde	gasoline

lead	magnetic fields

methylmethacrolate	mold/mildew

other	other drugs

other fumes	perfume

pesticides	recycled air / CO

smoke	UV light

vaccines

Most Common Diagnoses

Reproductive, any	787 (50.7%)

Miscarriage	427 (27.5%)

Immune disorder, any	363 (23.4%)

Allergies, any	320 (20.6%)

Gastrointestinal, any	284 (18.3%)

Allergies, Latex	281 (18.1%)

Heart, any	234 (15.1%)

Cancer, any	216 (13.9%)

Cerebrovascular, any	215 (13.9%)

Cancer, primary, any	192 (12.4%)

Migraines	186 (12.0%)

Difficulty conceiving	170 (11.0%)

Asthma	142 (9.1%)

Mental illness, any	128 (8.2%)

Hypertension	128 (8.2%)

Musculoskeletal, any	116 (7.5%)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)	113 (7.3%)

Depression	113 (7.3%)

Irritable bowel syndrome	71 (4.6%)

Osteoporosis	64 (4.1%)

Blood and metabolic disorders, any	61 (3.9%)

Endometriosis	53 (3.4%)

Breast cancer	52 (3.4%)

Kidney, any	47 (3.0%)

Nervous system, any	44 (2.8%)

Respiratory, any	42 (2.7%)

Thyroid, any	40 (2.6%)

Arrythmia, any	38 (2.4%)

Valve prolapse, any	35 (2.3%)

Skin cancer, any	34 (2.2%)

Immune disorder of thyroid, any	34 (2.2%)

Fibromyalgia	33 (2.1%)

Polyarthralgia, any	32 (2.1%)

Mitral valve prolapse	32 (2.1%)

Immune, any	31 (2.0%)

Endocrine system, non-autoimmune or source unspecified	31 (2.0%)

Gastrointestinal ulcer, any	30 (1.9%)

Tachycardia, any	28 (1.8%)

Cancer, secondary, any	28 (1.8%)

Anemia	28 (1.8%)

Oral cavity and pharynx cancer, any	27 (1.7%)

Kidney stones	26 (1.7%)

Hypothyroidism	25 (1.6%)

Time to conception greater than one year	24 (1.5%)

Pregnancy complications or failure, unspecified	24 (1.5%)

Osteopenia	24 (1.5%)

Digestive system cancer, any	23 (1.5%)

Hashimoto's disease	22 (1.4%)

Diabetes, any	21 (1.4%)

Other, any	21 (1.4%)

Survey Results

Results for 1,552 responses from all states

What chemicals do you use?