Blog #23: Climate Change
How can we strengthen our voice as nurses for climate change?
A 2018 article by the American Academy of Nursing on Policy recommended 8 principles for nurses to take a lead on bringing this critically important issue to the forefront:
1. Reduce sources of pollution that contribute to climate change. a. Mobilize, focus, incentivize, and increase national funding for climate protective actions. b. Oppose any rollback of climate protective polices addressing fuel economy standards, power plant emissions, and other sources of atmospheric carbon. c. Support climate protective initiatives at the community level, emphasizing the needs of populations and communities most affected. d. Advocate for community actions to incorporate renewable sources of energy, more fuel-efficient options for transportation, waste management, agricultural and forest management, and more energy-efficient buildings. e. Promote environmentally sustainable practices (e.g., reduction of medical waste) throughout hospitals and clinics nationwide.
2. Assure and fund robust systems for climate change monitoring and public health tracking. a. Develop cross-cutting initiatives that quantify premature mortality, attributable risk, and the socioeconomic burden of climate change-related illnesses.
3. Educate the public so that they understand the connections between their health and climate health. An informed citizenry is needed if health protective policies are to be enacted and supported. a. Assure that federal employees are not censored or restricted in any way from presenting scientific data or evidence-based recommendations addressing the health effects of climate change. b. Advance community-based initiatives addressing populations of concern, including those who are physiologically vulnerable (e.g., infants, pregnant women, elders), low-income, and/or have limited provisions to relocate to build resilience during disasters.
4. Advance training initiatives that improve nurses’ ability to implement sustainability initiatives in health-care systems. a. Identify mitigation strategies for energy efficiency, waste reduction and safe waste disposal, and preferential purchasing to reduce the environmental footprint and advocate that they be implemented in health-care settings. b. Expand interdisciplinary health-care teams to reduce adverse impacts from health-care sector upon climate and health. Downstream policies focus on climate adaptation and response, helping to prepare the United States to address the health consequences of climate change. Many of these policy recommendations address the nursing workforce because nurses’ work is essential to survival and health protection during many climate-related events.
5. Increase support for federally funded research aimed at minimizing the local consequences of climate change. a. Clearly articulate data-driven strategies that will yield direct benefits to populations and geographic areas of high concern.
6. Urge the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and HRSA to develop curricula and professional development opportunities to increase the knowledge and skills of the health-care workforce to effectively address the health impacts of climate change. a. Strengthen the capacity of the nursing workforce to act proactively and effectively before, during, and after disasters.
7. Urge the American Nurses Association (ANA) to incorporate climate change and health into the Scope and Standards of Practice: Nursing to require effective response into clinical practice for the care of persons affected by climate change.
8. Collaborate with governmental and nongovernmental organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Red Cross, and local Medical Reserve Corps to adopt or update strategies addressing emergency responses to climate change-related disasters.
We can adopt these strategies as nurses and nurse leaders. The fact is-- WE will face this if we do nothing. WE will face this if we do everything we can. We must be prepared to face the reality that some things cannot be undone and we will be working in a very different landscape over the next quarter century.
A 2018 article by the American Academy of Nursing on Policy recommended 8 principles for nurses to take a lead on bringing this critically important issue to the forefront:
1. Reduce sources of pollution that contribute to climate change. a. Mobilize, focus, incentivize, and increase national funding for climate protective actions. b. Oppose any rollback of climate protective polices addressing fuel economy standards, power plant emissions, and other sources of atmospheric carbon. c. Support climate protective initiatives at the community level, emphasizing the needs of populations and communities most affected. d. Advocate for community actions to incorporate renewable sources of energy, more fuel-efficient options for transportation, waste management, agricultural and forest management, and more energy-efficient buildings. e. Promote environmentally sustainable practices (e.g., reduction of medical waste) throughout hospitals and clinics nationwide.
2. Assure and fund robust systems for climate change monitoring and public health tracking. a. Develop cross-cutting initiatives that quantify premature mortality, attributable risk, and the socioeconomic burden of climate change-related illnesses.
3. Educate the public so that they understand the connections between their health and climate health. An informed citizenry is needed if health protective policies are to be enacted and supported. a. Assure that federal employees are not censored or restricted in any way from presenting scientific data or evidence-based recommendations addressing the health effects of climate change. b. Advance community-based initiatives addressing populations of concern, including those who are physiologically vulnerable (e.g., infants, pregnant women, elders), low-income, and/or have limited provisions to relocate to build resilience during disasters.
4. Advance training initiatives that improve nurses’ ability to implement sustainability initiatives in health-care systems. a. Identify mitigation strategies for energy efficiency, waste reduction and safe waste disposal, and preferential purchasing to reduce the environmental footprint and advocate that they be implemented in health-care settings. b. Expand interdisciplinary health-care teams to reduce adverse impacts from health-care sector upon climate and health. Downstream policies focus on climate adaptation and response, helping to prepare the United States to address the health consequences of climate change. Many of these policy recommendations address the nursing workforce because nurses’ work is essential to survival and health protection during many climate-related events.
5. Increase support for federally funded research aimed at minimizing the local consequences of climate change. a. Clearly articulate data-driven strategies that will yield direct benefits to populations and geographic areas of high concern.
6. Urge the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and HRSA to develop curricula and professional development opportunities to increase the knowledge and skills of the health-care workforce to effectively address the health impacts of climate change. a. Strengthen the capacity of the nursing workforce to act proactively and effectively before, during, and after disasters.
7. Urge the American Nurses Association (ANA) to incorporate climate change and health into the Scope and Standards of Practice: Nursing to require effective response into clinical practice for the care of persons affected by climate change.
8. Collaborate with governmental and nongovernmental organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Red Cross, and local Medical Reserve Corps to adopt or update strategies addressing emergency responses to climate change-related disasters.
We can adopt these strategies as nurses and nurse leaders. The fact is-- WE will face this if we do nothing. WE will face this if we do everything we can. We must be prepared to face the reality that some things cannot be undone and we will be working in a very different landscape over the next quarter century.
Climate Change is a Health Crisis!
I was able to attend APHA in 2017-2018 when they had features on climate health. It was astounding to hear the evidence and look towards what is coming our way. We must begin preparing nurses now to not only be better stewards who lead with authenticity and integrity- but better nurses who see this as a global health crisis and understand our role in intervening.
Our own Alliances for Healthy Environment nurses have done incredible research to help prepare us and given great tips on how to educate each other and future nurses on climate change.
It is very exciting to see nursing more involved in climate change. I was not aware that the American academy on nursing had made any recommendations. Nurses are in a very good position to make recommendations about climate change due to their vast education and care for the environment.
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