Social epidemiology is defined as, “Understanding the causes and distribution of diseases and impairments within a population.” (Weiss & Lonnquist, 2015 p. 35) Nurses and doctors are sort of like epidemiologists because they investigate or assess the patient to find out what is wrong. Health care providers study disease and illness patterns just like epidemiologists do (Weiss & Lonnquist, 2015 p. 36). When a patient comes to the ER, nurses assess the patient by listening to their heart and lungs, checking their skin, and drawing blood to check for labs. Nurses throughly check all of the patient’s body systems to find what is wrong. They ask questions about their lifestyle and check for exposure to chemicals or other health hazards. Age,
