Structured Environmental Safety Assessment in a High School Using the Omaha System
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to determine environmental safety-related risk patterns in a high school from the perspective of final-year nursing students and teachers by using the Omaha System Classification Scheme.
Method: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between January and June 2025 in one public Anatolian high school located in the Western Black Sea region of Türkiye. The school was selected due to the presence of the only actively practicing school nurse in the province during the study period. A total population sampling approach was used within the institution. The analytical sample consisted of 81 participants (13 teachers and 68 final-year nursing students). Data were collected using the Problem Classification Scheme (PCS) of the Omaha System. Environmental safety-related problems were identified and classified within the Environmental domain. Due to subgroup size imbalance and unmet assumptions for inferential testing, analyses were limited to descriptive statistics.
Results: Sanitation deficiencies, presence of infectious contaminants, inadequate heating and cooling systems, unsafe physical structures, overcrowded spaces, traffic-related hazards, and environmental safety threats were among the most frequently identified risk areas. The findings indicate that environmental safety risks within the same institutional setting are multidimensional and structurally embedded.
Conclusion: The use of the Omaha System Problem Classification Scheme enabled standardized documentation of school-based environmental safety risks. Integrating structured classification frameworks into school health practice may strengthen institutional environmental risk surveillance and planning. Multi-center studies across diverse school settings are recommended to examine the broader applicability of this approach.
Keywords
Ethical Statement
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Public Health Nursing
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Ecem Çiçek
*
0000-0001-6577-251X
Türkiye
Mahir Can Gökçe
0000-0002-6749-2009
Türkiye
İlknur Dolu
0000-0002-0958-8395
Türkiye
Publication Date
April 28, 2026
Submission Date
September 11, 2025
Acceptance Date
April 4, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 28 Number: 1