Published
2018-02-26
Section
Community Voices
License
All work in IJPS is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Copyright of content published in IJPS belongs to the author(s).
How to Cite
Climate Change and Health: Nurses as Drivers of Climate Action
Cara Cook
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/ijps.v5i1.914
Keywords: climate change, nursing, environment, public health, global warming, health care
Abstract
Changes to Earth’s climate are occurring globally at unprecedented rates with significant impacts to human and population health, including increased likelihood of mental health illnesses, food and water insecurity, insect-borne and heat-related illnesses, and respiratory diseases. Those in the health sector are seeing the challenges patients and community members are experiencing as a result of current and projected climate threats. Health professionals, including nurses, have an opportunity to lead the charge to significantly improve society’s response to climate change and foster the strategies needed to promote health. This article highlights the current work of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, a national nursing organization focused solely on environmental health concerns, in inspiring and empowering nurses across the country to engage in action to reduce their climate impact, move climate solutions forward, and improve the ability of health care institutions and communities to respond to the health impacts of climate change.
