Nurses Climate Challenge
The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments has partnered with Health Care Without Harm to launch the Nurses Climate Challenge. The Nurses Climate Challenge is an international effort to educate 50,000 health professionals on climate and health by 2022, with nurses leading the education. Nurses can visit nursesclimatechallenge.org and register to become a Nurse Climate Champion. Nurse Climate Champions receive access to a free, comprehensive set of easy-to-use resources that make educating their colleagues on climate and health simple.
- Outline and suggested steps for planning educational events (e.g. grand rounds, lunch and learn programs, staff meetings)
- Sample emails to engage hospital leadership
- Resources for educational events, including promotional posters, sample slides for presentations, regional data, and tips and strategies for talking about climate change
- Easy to use guide for taking climate action in practice and home settings
- Guidance on how to take action personally and professionally
Nurse Climate Champions across the country will use these materials to host small or large educational events (e.g. at a staff meeting) and then report the number of health professionals they have educated. Together, as more nurses sign up and host events, we will get closer and closer to our goal of 50,000 health professionals who are prepared to take action. By acting to address climate change, nurses have an opportunity to improve health on a global scale. Join us in the Nurses Climate Challenge!
Learn how Nurse Climate Champions across the country are using the Nurses Climate Challenge resources to educate their colleagues about climate and health: Nurse Climate Champion Profiles.
School of Nursing Commitment
The Nurses Climate Challenge invites you to participate in a partnership model between our initiative and nursing schools across the country. Help achieve the overarching goal of preparing all nurses to better care for patients and communities in a world with a changing climate by joining the School of Nursing Commitment.
Climate change is gaining attention as a health threat, making it an important aspect of nursing care – yet the inclusion of curricular content addressing climate and health is not yet the norm in nursing programs. The Nurses Climate Challenge can provide the resources for faculty to educate nursing students on this critically important topic.
Would your school of nursing like to commit to educating students about climate and health? Learn more about the commitment and the school of nursing partners here.
Nurses Climate Challenge Podcast Series
Season 5, Episode 1: The Founding Mothers of the Nurses’ Climate Challenge
The Nurses’ Climate Challenge (NCC) is a nation leading, and now global effort inviting nurses to educate other health professionals about climate change and health. The innovator behind the challenge is Shanda Demorest, DNP, RN, PHN. In this podcast, the first of season 5, Shanda kicks off a series focusing on the NCC and Nurse Climate Champions. In the first session, she interviews the founding mothers of the NCC – a group of five committed nurses who have worked together for five years to launch and nourish the NCC. Enjoy!
Listen HERE
Season 5, Episode 2: NCC Europe with Anna Fuhrmann
In 2021, the Nurses’ Climate Challenge was expanded to Europe, through Healthcare Without Harm Europe. Nurse Anna Furhmann has been leading the Challenge. In this episode, Shanda interviews Anna to explore her experience and compare notes.
Listen HERE
Season 5, Episode 3: NCC Schools of Nursing Bring Climate Change into the Classroom
In episode 3 of the Nurses Climate Challenge series, Shanda interviews two nursing faculty members, Cameron Kiersch DNP, RN and Sahar Nouredini, PhD, RN, CNS, who are committed to climate education, discussion and engagement for nursing students. They reflect on their own experiences, strategies and approaches.
Listen HERE
Season 5, Episode 4: From Sustainability Champion to Planetary Health Leader: An Oncology Nurse’s Journey
In episode 4 of the Nurses Climate Challenge series, Shanda interviews Milagros Elia, MA, APRN, ANP-BC on her work as a nurse climate champion within the national Oncology Nurses Society where she has helped to initiate and successfully grow an environmental health focus group and beyond.
Listen HERE
Season 5, Episode 5: The SolarRN™: Where renewable energy and health converge
Hear about the journey of Kathryn Ford Richter, BSN, RN as she shares her story of building a renewable solar energy company as a nurse. Richter, also known as The SolarRN™, dives deep into the logistics of solar energy and the environmental, financial – and of course health – benefits of going solar.
Listen HERE
To listen to and/or subscribe to all ANHE podcasts, visit envirn.org/podcast.