Nurses Take on Climate Challenges to Protect Their Patients and Communities

Nurses Take on Climate Challenges to Protect Their Patients and Communities

BY LINDA CHILDERS

8 National Nurses Month Special Issue 2021

As a school nurse working outside of Chicago, Gloria E. Barerra, MSN, RN, PEL-CSN, has witnessed how climate change is impacting both our planet and the health of her students.

As the United States sees extreme changes in the weather, Barrera says health professionals are seeing an increase in patients with both new and existing health problems. She is one of many nurses across the United States, Canada, and Europe who are working to raise awareness of how climate change impacts public health, as part of the Nurses Climate Challenge campaign, a collaboration between Health Care Without Harm and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE).

As the United States sees extreme changes in the weather, Barrera says health professionals are seeing an increase in patients with both new and existing health problems.

The U.S. campaign (https:// us.nursesclimatechallenge.org), launched in 2018, hopes to mobilize nurses to educate 50,000 health professionals about the impact of climate change on health by 2022, build a national network of health professionals to take action, and educate both their colleagues and patients on the health impacts of climate change.

“This is one of the most serious health threats we face

today,” Barerra says. “Every year, I notice an increase in the number of students diagnosed with asthma and recently we’ve seen how poor air quality also makes us more susceptible to COVID-19 and respiratory infections.”

“In the U.S. we know our zip code determines our life expectancy more than our genetic code, and climate change is exacerbating these health disparities,” she says.

In addition, Barrera says exposure to poor air quality has been shown to contribute to premature death, cancer, and cardiovascular and respiratory harm.

As a member of ANHE, Barrera has traveled to Washington, D.C. and spoken to lawmakers about the direct impact that climate change, specifically toxic air pollution from the oil and gas industry, has on public health.

While climate change poses an overall risk to public health, Barrera says it disproportionately affects minorities and those who live in lower income areas.

“In the U.S. we know our zip code determines our life expectancy more than our genetic code, and climate change is exacerbating these health disparities,” she says. “As part of my service work, I’ve participated in the promotion of climate literacy and heath literacy among the Latino communities and am committed to ongoing advocacy to ensure policies and resources are appropriately

deployed to address climate change and minimize its impact amongst our most vulnerable populations.”

Teaching Climate Change in Nursing School

While environmental health hasn’t historically been taught in nursing school, that’s changing, with some professors and colleges integrating health issues surrounding climate change into their curriculum.

As an adjunct professor of nursing at DePaul University, Capella University, and her alma mater, Saint Xavier University, Barerra teaches nursing students how they can work to mitigate the effects of climate change on their patients’ health.

“I’m committed to helping future nurses understand our role in addressing critical issues related to the environment and climate change,” Barrera says. “I stress how a healthy environment is vital to optimal health and I use my experience in advocacy to bring the research to life in many of my courses.”

While environmental health hasn’t historically been taught in nursing school, that’s changing, with some professors and colleges integrating health issues surrounding climate change into their curriculum.

Adelita Cantu, PhD, RN, a public health nurse and an associate professor at UT Health San Antonio School

of Nursing, also teaches her undergraduate students about climate change in a module called Climate Change as a Public Health Issue.

“We discuss the heat, drought, even the recent freezing storm that hit the state of Texas, and how the consequences of climate change affect our patients and community,” Cantu says. “I’ve seen how rising temperatures and air pollution have led to an increase in asthma cases among seniors and how it negatively impacts their quality of life.”

Cantu says she instructs students on how to help patients minimize the health risks of climate change. This can include having patients monitor the air quality index (AQI), found in newspapers and on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, AirNow. gov, and to modify time spent outdoors accordingly.

“I bring the topic of climate change into a conversation with patients in a non-judgmental way and I encourage nursing students to do the same,” Cantu says.

As part of her work with the Nurses Climate Challenge, Cantu also explains to her students how burning fossil fuels can contribute to disease.

Cantu has been an active climate change advocate in her community, helping to form the Air and Health Collaborative in San Antonio, and to raise awareness about the adverse effects of air pollution and measures that can be

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taken to protect the city’s most vulnerable residents.

For those who might not believe in climate change, Cantu works to make the connection between changes in weather and to address any of their concerns or questions.

“I bring the topic of climate change into a conversation with patients in a non-judgmental way and I encourage nursing students to do the same,” Cantu says.

Believing students are never too young to learn about

climate change, Cantu has also co-developed EcoCamp in San Antonio to raise awareness about climate change and air pollution and the Youth Leadership Air Quality Academy at UT Health, a grantfunded program that teaches

teens, many from underserved communities, how to become advocates to help improve health and air quality in their neighborhoods.

Linda Childers is a freelance writer

based in California.Take an Active Role in Fighting Climate Change

For nurses who want to become an advocate for climate change, Barrera recommends joining the ANHE (envirn. org) and getting involved with one of their work groups (Practice, Policy/Advocacy, Research, or Education).Enroll for the virtual symposium, Climate Change & Health 2021: The Intersection of Climate Change, COVID-19 and Structural Racism, which will be held on Saturday, April 24. CEUs are available. Fees and the full agenda are available online.Barrera encourages nurses to join the Nurses Drawdown movement to take personal and professional action in five key areas: energy, food, nature, mobility, and gender equity.Learn how to lend your voice as a nurse and take action on climate change policy. The U.S. Climate and Health Alliance can connect you to other health professionals in your state who are working on climate change issues, show how to write an op-ed, and also communicate with your state legislators.

10 National Nurses Month Special Issue 2021