Community health nursing students studied epidemiology first hand by participating in a screening program for children with undue lead absorption. Students were able to understand more fully the context of the health problem, including the environmental and socioeconomic factors that play a significant role in the natural history of disease. Ten percent of all the children screened for this man-made environmental public health problem required medical or environmental follow-up. Students learned that the role of the researcher cannot be separated from the role of the community health nurse.