The healthcare industry is increasingly feeling the effects of climate change, impacting individual patients, clinicians, organizational operations, and public health as a whole. Nurses, as frontline caregivers and patient advocates, have a crucial role in both responding to and mitigating these environmental challenges.

A recent symposium of articles published in AACN Advanced Critical Care

explores the intersection of climate change and acute and critical care, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable healthcare practices. The symposium, titled “Climate Change: Time for Hospitals to Respond,” was co-edited by Mary Frances Pate, PhD, RN, and Margaret “Peggy” Slota, DNP, RN, CNS, FAAN.

A Defining Moment for Healthcare

Pate, a clinical associate professor at St. David’s School of Nursing at Texas State University, and Slota, professor emerita at Georgetown University, have been long-time advocates for addressing environmental issues in healthcare. Their symposium stresses the urgency for the healthcare sector to acknowledge its contribution to climate change and take actionable steps toward sustainability.

“We are in a defining moment for climate change, and we must prepare to manage the inevitable impacts on human health,” Pate emphasized. In her article, “Climate Change: Time for Hospitals to Respond,” she discusses how healthcare organizations must recognize their environmental footprint and implement strategies to reduce harmful effects on their communities, patients, and employees.

While catastrophic weather events often dominate headlines, hospitals are witnessing an increase in patients suffering from extreme heat, drought, poor air quality, and other climate-related conditions. Additionally, climate change has disrupted supply chains, led to medication shortages, and forced operational adaptations, further challenging healthcare providers.

Empowering Nurses to Lead Sustainable Change

One of the symposium’s key articles, “Developing a Green Nursing Practice in a Profession That Contributes to Climate Change: One Nurse’s Journey,” by Louisa Shelby, MSN, RN, IBCLC, provides a roadmap for nurses who want to go beyond individual efforts and drive broader organizational change. As the nurse lactation program coordinator lead at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, Oregon, Shelby shares practical strategies for reducing waste and integrating sustainability into nursing practice.

Nurses are uniquely positioned to advocate for greener practices, from reducing single-use plastics in hospitals to implementing energy-efficient workflows and championing sustainability policies at institutional levels.

Exploring the Clinical Impacts of Climate Change

The AACN Advanced Critical Care winter 2024 issue also includes evidence-based discussions on the impact of climate change on patient care, featuring articles such as:

The Relationship Between Climate and Emerging Infectious Diseases – Examining how shifting climate patterns influence the spread of infections.
Critical Care Nursing Response to the 2023 Wildfire Disaster in Maui, Hawaii – A firsthand account of nursing interventions in climate-driven disaster scenarios.
Climate-Related Emergencies in Pregnancy – Addressing the risks and considerations for maternal and fetal health amid environmental changes.

Taking Action Now

The message from this symposium is clear: Climate change is not a distant threat—it is an immediate healthcare crisis. Nurses can lead the charge in sustainability efforts, ensuring that the profession not only adapts to climate-related health challenges but also actively works to reduce its environmental impact.

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