To better prepare nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists and home health care aides who face these hazards, researchers from the University of Louisville School of Nursing and The Ohio State University developed the  to instruct workers and students on 150 dangerous scenarios that might exist in a patient’s home.

Participants go through different rooms in a home with a range of hazards and distractions, prompting one to assess and respond to the risk. The system explains why a particular situation is dangerous and how to fix it.

Three categories are featured: slip, trip and lift hazards; fire and electrical hazards; and environmental hazards.

It’s engaging, effective and widely usable regardless of a participant’s computer or gaming experience, according to a study of the system’s efficiency published by .

Before the program, there had not been a consistent way to train health professionals on home hazards, said Barbara J. Polivka, PhD, RN, FAAN, Shirley B. Powers Endowed Chair in Nursing Research and professor at the UofL School of Nursing.

“Home health care workers don’t have the backup systems that exist in hospitals or nursing homes. They are pretty much by themselves in an uncontrolled and unpredictable environment,” said Polivka, who led the study. “People who do this virtual training learn what they can do to protect themselves from hazards, and subsequently protect clients. It works both ways.”

The training was based on information gathered from focus groups and interviews with about 70 home health care workers. They commonly reported encountering patients smoking while using oxygen, the presence of throw rugs and clutter that posed tripping risks and aggressive, unconfined pets.

About 60 percent of all injuries experienced by home health workers occur inside patient homes and result from patient handling tasks, medical devices, equipment and other factors of the home environment.

Led by  Professor Barbara Polivka, PhD, RN, FAAN, the researchers are taking in-home measurements of 85 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals that easily become gases at room temperature and are emitted from common household items, including paint, aerosol sprays and cleansers. Researchers also are measuring levels of fine particulates, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, temperature, humidity and environmental asthma triggers, including mold and secondhand smoke.

An average of 30 chemicals have been detected in each home and indoor concentrations have been about 7.5 times that of outdoor concentrations.

“One of the things we’re looking at is whether VOCs trigger asthma or make it worse,” Polivka said. “A number of these chemicals have been shown to impact our cardiovascular and respiratory health.”

Average indoor concentrations of several chemicals have exceeded health standards. These include benzene, a known carcinogen found in gasoline, scented candles and carpet glue, and chloroform, which can cause depression and asthma and is found in chlorinated tap water and bleach.

Louisville-area residents may qualify to participate in the study if they meet these requirements:

• Have asthma
• Are 60 or older
• Not a current smoker
• Do not have other major lung disease

Participants will receive a total of $200 in gift cards, asthma trigger control supplies and results of their home environmental assessment.

To see if you qualify to participate, contact asthma@louisville.edu or 502-852-2273.

Polivka, PhD, RN, Shirley B. Powers Endowed Chair at the UofL School of Nursing, is among 164 nursing leaders worldwide chosen for the 2016 class of academy fellows. She and other inductees will be honored at a ceremony during the annual policy conference Oct. 20-22 in Washington, D.C.

Fellows advance the ��������𳾲�’s mission of transforming health policy and practice by applying collective nursing knowledge. They work with the academy to strengthen the health care delivery system, improve the quality of nursing, and reduce health disparities and inequalities.

Polivka said it was humbling to be recognized for her work in improving environmental and public health.

“Fellows in the academy are a prestigious group of nursing leaders who have and continue to make an impact in nursing and health care,” Polivka said. “I’ve had the privilege of working with a number of amazing colleagues in academia, health care, state and local governments, and professional organizations. I’m indebted to them and to my family for their support, patience and encouragement throughout my career.”

Polivka’s distinguished career in nursing research and academia has spanned more than 30 years. She is leading a $2.4 million study funded by the National Institute on Aging that is comprehensively examining the triggers of asthma in older adults.

Through an $870,000 grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Polivka and researchers from The Ohio State University have developed a virtual simulation system that will train home health care workers on how to mitigate hazards they encounter in clients’ homes.

“Dr. Polivka is most deserving of this recognition,” said Marcia J. Hern, EdD, CNS, RN, UofL School of Nursing dean. “Throughout her career, she has been a consummate scholar and researcher, along with being a mentor to an extensive number of students and faculty at various stages in their careers.”

Polivka joins three other UofL School of Nursing professors who have been inducted as American Academy of Nursing fellows: Vicki Hines-Martin, M. Cynthia Logsdon and Karen Robinson.

The academy is comprised of more than 2,400 nursing leaders, including hospital and government administrators, college deans and researchers from all 50 states and 28 countries.