Our communities are only as healthy as the environment in which they exist. Certain aspects of our environment—like air, soil, temperature, and water—are things we often take for granted in more developed parts of the world. Yet, as climate change affects our environment, that, in turn, affects our health.

One of the primary roles nurses fulfill is that of an educator. Whether it’s discussing disease prevention practices or helping our patients to manage their chronic health problems, nurses must now consider the environment’s health as a critical contributing factor. In other words, to be an advocate for our patients is to be an advocate for the environment.

Pulse check on climate health

Environmental nurses, public health nurses—and really any nurse who has ever worked with vulnerable communities—know just how impactful the environment is on our patients’ health.  Children regularly get screened for lead, we routinely educate patients about the dangers of smoking (both first and second hand), and headlines about failing water quality continually dominate the news cycle. 

Both nursing students and nurses of younger generations regularly rank climate change as a top concern. Their growing frustration is certainly understandable—with decades of life left to live, they will be the ones most impacted by climate change, both personally and professionally. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating how destructive climate change is to life as we know it, not enough is being done to mitigate what aspects we can control.

The Lancet’s annual report on climate change and health validates how very real the burden of climate change is for patients and the healthcare workers caring for them:        

• In 2020 alone, air pollution from fossil fuel particles directly contributed to 1.2 million deaths, with 11,840 of those deaths occurring in the U.S.

• Deaths from extreme heat have increased 68% worldwide, and 74% for seniors in the U.S. since 2020. Extreme heat is also to blame for 98 million cases of hunger.

• Disease spread by mosquitoes has increased 12% globally as a direct result of changes in temperature and precipitation that favor their population growth.

• Mental health has also been impacted, with rates of depression and anxiety, stress, and PTSD increasing as a result of climate change.

• Wealthy countries—the worst offenders contributing to climate change—have decreased their assistance to the poorer countries most affected by it. Recent floods in Pakistan killed more than a thousand people—but the insufficient global support afterwards has left nearly 8 million vulnerable to communicable diseases (this is just one stark example of this worrisome trend).                                                                                                                      

  It’s no secret that our most vulnerable communities—especially BIPOC folks—will be the most impacted by climate change. Globally, humanitarian organizations are already overwhelmed caring for communities affected by climate change, like the victims of the Pakistan floods. Without a significant commitment from wealthier countries, including funding assistance and making good on promises to decrease their negative impact on climate change, the consequences will be dire. 

Actionable ways to advocate for the environment

Preparedness is one way to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, which often prompt round after round of negative health effects. Climate emergency management scientists view natural disasters as vulnerability-creating systems. In this way, predicting which communities will be hardest hit is obvious—the ones that already have socioeconomic and health disadvantages. 

Advocating to reduce health disparities within vulnerable communities—to improve their drinking water, housing, temperature-control, food security, and access to affordable health care—is one of the most effective ways to reduce the impact of climate change and natural disasters. As nurses, we already do this. But it doesn’t hurt to underline the importance of this work, knowing that any improvements in community health will improve their quality-of-life in real time and in the future against climate change. By using our voice as one of the most trusted professions, we have the capacity to influence public awareness.

In addition to our role in primary prevention, nurses can also advocate for the environment closer to home. According to the Lancet's report, hospitals and other health care organizations account for 8% of global emissions in the U.S., and 5.2% of emissions globally. The enormous amount of power required to run large machines, the filtration systems, and constant lighting are all hugely energy intensive. Add to that the massive amount of single-use products used, along with the harsh chemicals and biohazard materials that need to be disposed of, and it’s not hard to see how the healthcare system leaves a massive environmental footprint.

Healthcare institutions have also been agents of positive environmental change, too. One good example of innovative change occurred during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. With an extreme shortage of PPE nationwide, improvisations to reuse what was available were made, particularly when it came to N95 masks. One such practice, disinfecting N95s using UV light, was used without much evidence to back its effectiveness. However, a recent study conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology confidently proves both its efficacy and safety. 

Framing the state of our environment as a health issue rather than a political one is a good place to start. Nurses are an obvious choice when it comes to linking healthcare and climate change. Nurses who view climate change as a major concern are natural ambassadors for bringing awareness to the link between healthcare and environmental care, and for weaving this connection into the care of their patients. 

A recent nurse-led campaign called the Nurses Climate Challenge takes these ideas to the street. With a goal to “Launch a movement of health professionals committed to climate solutions in care settings and in the community,” this campaign provides resources, guides for creating awareness events—even the opportunity for membership within their Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments for those nurses seeking actionable tasks.  

In the spirit of the well-known adage, “be the change you wish to see in the world,” nurses have 4 million opportunities to bring awareness—and change—to the profound relationship between climate health and human health. It’s up to us to take advantage.