Listen to Joyce Stein, RN discuss her approach to nursing’s role in environmental health advocacy.
Joyce Stein, RN spent 3 decades caring for vulnerable babies and their families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. During her career she became more aware of the toxic chemicals that babies are exposed to both prenatally and in the the first few months of life. This led to a deeper dive into the regulations related to toxic chemicals as well as the nursing response to advocating for vulnerable patients. Listen to Joyce discuss her approach to nursing’s role in environmental health advocacy.
Joyce Stein, RN, BSN worked over 35 years as a staff nurse at the University of Michigan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Has served on the Board and the Congress on Public Policy of the Michigan Nurses Association. Is a 2012 Reach the Decision Makers Fellow of the University of California San Francisco’s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. She currently serves on the Board of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Co-President of the State of Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses and past Co-Chair of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) Health Policy and Advocacy Committee. She has participated in environmental health advocacy through lobby days, press conferences and legislative meetings with the Michigan Ecology Center, the Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health and the MI Air MI Health Coalition. She has published on nursing advocacy and has presented to nursing students and NANN members on the prenatal and neonatal health risks from environmental exposures.
About your host, Beth Schenk
Elizabeth Schenk, PhD, MHI, RN-BC is Providence-WSU Nurse Scientist and Sustainability Coordinator at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana. In addition, she is assistant research professor in Nursing at Washington State University in Spokane. Dr. Schenk co-leads nursing research efforts at St. Pat’s, and also across Providence St. Joseph Health, working with nursing leaders at 50 hospitals.
In addition, Dr. Schenk leads efforts for environmental stewardship at St. Patrick, and has worked with ministries across the system to reduce environmental impacts for the past 10 years. She co-leads ACES (Action Collaborative for Environmental Stewardship) across Providence St. Joseph. In her academic work, she developed the “Nurses Environmental Awareness Tool” which has been used in multiple states and several countries to assess awareness of the environmental impacts of hospital-based healthcare. Dr. Schenk serves on the national board of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, and several local boards.
In her free time, she loves her family, pets, garden, hockey, aikido and music.
