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!
Jessica Wolff, MBA, MSN is the U.S. Director of Climate and Health for Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth. She leads the climate team in developing strategies to engage and support the health care sector to leverage its political, economic, and ethical influence to address climate change and promote health and equity. Prior to her current position, Jessica was the Environmental Sustainability Advisor at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, where she worked to develop and drive the system’s environmental sustainability program. Jessica worked as a women’s health nurse practitioner and health center director for many years. In 2009, she returned for her MBA, focusing on strategy and sustainability, and then held positions at Waste Management in their recycling and sustainability services. She has a degree in Environmental Studies from Oberlin College, a Master’s in Nursing from University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Cara Cook, MS, RN, AHN-BC is the Director of Programs for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. In her role, she leads ANHE environmental health programming to engage nurses, nursing organizations, and the profession in advancing health advocacy, education, and practice change. Cara has experience in critical care and public health nursing. Cara holds a Master’s in Community/Public Health Nursing through the University of Maryland.
Julie K. Moyle, MSN, RN maintains her 35 year OR nursing practice, which has included opening and managing the surgery department at the first LEED certified hospital in the country. She joined the staff of Practice Greenhealth in 2015, a non-profit organization of more than 1400 hospitals and health system members working to reduce their environmental impacts. She has spoken at ASHE, CleanMed, AORN and OR Business Manager events, national webinars, and other forums on implementing environmental best practices in inpatient and outpatient surgical settings. A current member of AORN, Julie served on the Guideline Advisory Board, and authored the AORN Environmental Responsibility Statement as a subject matter expert in health care sustainability.
Shanda Demorest, DNP, RN, PHN is a Sustainability Strategy Manager with Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm, where she wo
rks with hospitals and health systems to reduce their environmental impact. Dr. Demorest earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Health Innovation and Leadership from the University of Minnesota, and she also holds the LEED Green Associate credential through the U.S. Green Building Council. A cardiovascular nurse with horticultural training by background, Shanda leads the Nurses Climate Challenge: A national campaign to educate 50,000 health professionals about the health impacts of climate change. Shanda co-developed CHANT: Climate, Health and Nursing Tool, which measures nurses’ awareness and engagement with climate change globally. She serves as an Affiliate Faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing and has published works nationally about environmental sustainability in health care and the health impacts of climate change.
Resources:
- Nurses Climate Challenge
- Nurses Climate Challenge School Of Nursing Commitment
- Health Care Without Harm
- Practice Greenhealth
- Nurses Drawdown
- ANHE Environmental Health Nurse Fellowship
- ANHE forums & committees
- Practice Greenhealth Standardized Environmental Criteria for Sustainable Procurement
- Health Care Climate Challenge
- CHANT: Climate and Health Tool
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.
Shanda Demorest, Guest Host of the Nurses Climate Challenge Podcast Series
Dr. Shanda Demorest, DNP, RN, PHN (she/her/hers) is a Sustainability Strategy Manager with Practice Greenhealth, where she works with hospitals and health systems to reduce their environmental impact. 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.
