The prestigious Charlotte Brody Award recognizes a nurse whose story of environmental activism and accomplishment reflects a significant contribution to environmental health. This award honors Charlotte Brody, a registered nurse and activist and a co-founder of Health Care Without Harm, who dedicated her career to making a safer, healthier environment. Health Care without Harm and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments are proud to announce Dr. Kathy Murphy as the honored recipient of the 2022 Charlotte Brady Award.
Kathy Murphy, Ed.D, MSN, RN, CHSE is a Professor of Nursing at Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC), an adjunct instructor for Charter Oak State College, and adjunct faculty at the University of Hartford where she teaches a course Environmental Health and Nursing. Dr. Murphy has vast experience in pediatric nursing, OB nursing, and public health nursing. Dr. Murphy has several publications on environmental health and climate change and has presented at many conferences on these topics. She is an active member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, co-chair of the Education Workgroup and a member of the Steering Committee. Dr. Murphy is one of the editors of the second edition of Environmental Health and Nursing and has written several chapters for this text, including safer cleaning products, pharmaceutical disposal, and community assessment. She is the faculty advisor to NVCC’s NSNA chapter and former Connecticut Student Nurses Association advisor.
Resources
- Charlotte Brody Award winner Dr. KathyMurphy’s profile on the Nurses Climate Challenge Website
- Environmental Health in Nursing e-text 2nd edition
- Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments education forum
- Integrating climate change into nursing curricula (McDermott-Levy, Murphy, Leffers, Jordan, 2019)
About the Nurses’ Climate Challenge Podcast Series
The 2022 Nurses Climate Challenge series elevates nurses from all walks of life taking action to address the number one public health threat of the 21st century: climate change. Listen in as Nurses Climate Challenge founder Shanda Demorest, registered nurse and outdoor enthusiast, interviews Nurse Climate Champions inspiring others to take climate action. Co-sponsored by ANHE and Health Care Without Harm, the Nurses Climate Challenge is a national campaign with the goal of empowering nurses to educate 50,000 health professionals about the health impacts of climate change by the end of 2022.
Dr. Shanda Demorest, DNP, RN, PHN (she/her/hers) is the Associate Director for Climate and Health Education at Health Care Without Harm, a global non profit with a mission to decarbonize the health care sector and create transformative change by building climate resilience in support of human health. A cardiovascular nurse with horticultural training by background, Dr. Demorest earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Health Innovation and Leadership from the University of Minnesota.
About the Nurses for Healthy Environments Podcast
Since 2017, Beth and other hosts have interviewed dozens of nurses across the globe, all of whom are working at the intersection of health and environment. Practicing clinical nurses, faculty and educators, policy makers and elected officials, leaders of non-profits, students, and more have shared their work, commitments and perspectives.
There are two primary goals of the podcast. First, to spread the word about the fabulous work of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments – so we’re glad you found us! Second, to highlight and share the amazing and leading work nurses around the world are doing to help protect our natural world in order to support health and healing.
Again and again, nurses are spearheading social change, climate action,environmental justice, and improving health for vulnerable populations, while using their valuable clinical skills, teaching, and caring. Nurses’ work can seem overlooked or taken for granted, and we are here to tell their important stories. We hope you enjoy meeting the nurses in the Nurses for Healthy Environments podcast!
Beth Schenk, Nurses for Healthy Environments Podcast Host
Elizabeth Schenk, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a leader of environmental stewardship in healthcare, where she has been working to reduce pollution from healthcare for 3 decades. Schenk is the executive director of environmental stewardship for Providence, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the United States. She led the development of CHANT: the Climate and Health Tool to understand perceptions, behaviors and motivations of health professionals regarding climate and health. She developed the WE ACT PLEASE framework for environmental stewardship, identifying key focus areas of Waste, Energy/water, Agriculture/food, Chemicals, and Transportation. Schenk serves on the national board of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, and on the boards of Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate and Climate Smart Missoula. She lives in Missoula, Montana.
