Climate Change & Health Impacts
Name two direct health effects of climate change
What is heat related illness and injury from extreme weather?
(Goodman, B., 2013)
This term describes challenges vulnerable populations face disproportionately, regarding health outcomes.
What are health inequities?
(Astle, 2021)
This percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions is produced by healthcare.
A) 4-5%
B) 10-11%
C) Approximately 15%
What is 4-5%?
(MacNeill et al., 2021)
The four components of the nursing metaparadigm
What are person, health, environment and nurse?
(Kalogirou et al., 2020)
Name one health co-benefit of mitigating climate change.
What is reduced air pollution, improved health outcomes, or food security etc.?
(Hamilton et al., 2021)
Name two indirect health effects of climate change
What is food security, water contamination or infectious disease spread?
(Goodman, B., 2013)
Name two populations disproportionately affected by climate change.
Who are low-income populations and Indigenous peoples (or immigrants, children, elderly)?
(Astle, 2021)
This is the largest source of healthcare emissions.
What is the supply chain?
(Tennison et al., 2021)
Name a limitation to the concept, nursing metaparadigm, that affects how nursing responds to climate change.
What is individual focused, system barriers or global delay to the climate crisis?
(Kalogirou et al., 2020)
Name a daily nursing action that promotes sustainable practice.
What is
- reusable PPE when appropriate
- gloves only when necessary
- proper PPE disposal
- waste reduction
- questioning unnecessary test
(MacNeill et al., 2021; Kalogirou et al., 2020)
Name two major environmental changes caused by climate changes that impact human health
What are extreme weather events and rising temperatures (or drought/floods etc.)?
(Kalogirou et al., 2020)
This framework emphasizes "dignified life" and health equity
What is the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Equity Commission Framework?
(Astle, 2021)
Name one principle of sustainable health systems
What is
- Reducing demand for health services
- Matching supply to demand
- Reducing emissions
- Net Zero waste
(MacNeill et al., 2021)
Name a reason nursing had a delayed response to climate change.
What is its historical focus on individual care, limited environmental perspective, compliance or delay to align goals of care with environmental sustainability?
(Kalogirou et al., 2020; MacNeill et al., 2021)
Name one nursing intervention that adresses planetary health.
What is patient education, advocacy or sustainable practice etc.?
(MacNeill et al., 2021)
This concept explains how climate change affects disease transmission patterns
What is "climate-sensitive disease transmission"?
(Kalogirou et al., 2020)
This term describes how social, political and economic systems create vulnerability
What are structural vulnerabilities?
(MacNeill et al., 2021)
A healthcare system that produces no net greenhouse gas emissions
What is net-zero healthcare?
(MacNeill et al., 2021)
This term describes the era where humans dominate environmental change
What is Anthropocene?
(Kalogirou et al., 2020)
Name one benefit of sustainable and environmentally conscious transport policies (ex. electric fleet cars or improving bike lane infrastructure).
What is increased physical activity or reduced air pollution?
(Hamilton et al., 2021)
CASE STUDY
A coastal community experiences flooding, food insecurity, and respiratory illness due to climate change. Identify two climate factors that affect health and 2 nursing priorities.
Causes: Flooding = Displacement and food disruption and Poor air quality = Respiratory illness and food disruption
Nursing Priorities: Community health promotion + disaster response/preparedness
CASE STUDY
A migrant population lacks access to care during a heatwave. What nursing approach, using an equity-centered lens, would you use at the individual level and the systems level.
Individual: Culturally safe care and access to hydration or cooling systems (ex. A/C, fans, shade)
System: Advocate for policy change and access to services
CASE STUDY
A hospital wants to reduce emissions—Identify 3 interventions. These can be individual or system level.
What is
- Renewable energy
- Reduce unnecessary care
- Sustainable sourcing, supply, quality of services and devices (procurement)
(MacNeill et al., 2021)
CASE STUDY
Apply the four concepts (person, environment, health & nurse) of the nursing metaparadigm to a patient with asthma from air pollution.
Person: Patient
Environment: Air Quality
Health: Respiratory status
Nurse: Advocate & educator
(Kalogirou et al., 2020)
CRITICAL THINKING
An approach nurses can lead for planetary health through systems thinking, equity, and interconnection with nature.
What is a transdisciplinary, equity-centered planetary health approach?
(Astle et al., 2021)