Climate Change & Health Impacts
Two direct health effects of climate change
What is heat related illness and injury from extreme weather?
(Goodman, B., 2013)
Avoidable differences in health outcomes between populations
What are health inequities?
(Astel, 2021)
The percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions from healthcare.
A) 4-5%
B) 10-11%
C) Approximately 22%
What is 4-5%?
The four components of the nursing metaparadigm
What are person, health, environment and nurse?
(Kalogirou et al., 2020)
One health co-benefit of mitigating climate change
What is reduced air pollution, improved health outcomes, or food security?
(Hamilton et al., 2021)
Two indirect health effects of climate change
What is food security, water contamination or infectious disease spread?
(Goodman, B., 2013)
Two groups disproportionately affected by climate change
Who are low-income populations and Indigenous peoples (or immigrants, children, elderly)?
(Astel, 2021)
The largest source of healthcare emissions
What is the supply chain?
(Tennison et al., 2021)
The metaparadigm concept that limits nursing's climate response
What is individual focused, system barriers or global delay to the climate crisis?
(Kalogirou et al., 2020)
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 PAHO Equity Framework?
(Astel, 2021)
One principle of sustainable health systems
What is
- Reducing demand for health services
- Matching supply to demand
- Reducing emissions
(MacNeill et al., 2021)
The 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)
One nursing intervention adressing planetary health
What is patient education, advocacy or sustainable practice?
(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?
A healthcare system that produces no net greenhouse gas emissions
What is net-zero healthcare?
(MacNeill et al., 2021)
The term describing 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 causes 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. Apply an equity-centered nursing approach thinking 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.
What is
- Renewable energy
- Reduce unnecessary care
- Sustainable procurement (sourcing, supply and quality or services and devices)
(MacNeill et al., 2021)
CASE STUDY
Apply the metaparadigm to a patient with asthma from air pollution.
Person: Patient
Environment: Air Quality
Health: Respiratory status
Nurse: Advocate & educate
(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?