“Our country needs us, and our country needs us now.”
That’s the message Kathy Reiner, MPH, BA, BSN, RN, AE-C, FNASN, is sending to nurses across Colorado. Reiner, a University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus alumna, gave a presentation at the CU Anschutz Alumni Virtual Summer Series. The series focuses on climate change and how it’s intertwined with healthcare.
“Society needs nurses to step up,” she says. “We’re called upon to integrate the science of climate change and health into nursing education, research, and practice. We need to work with healthcare professionals, community organizations, and policymakers to address the multiple health consequences of climate change and environmental degradation.”
Nurses & Climate Policy |
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The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) is one group focused on involving nurses in climate policy. The organization has a nurse's coalition on climate change and offers educational opportunities to members.
“They understand we need a health-centered response to climate change, and we need to help policymakers and the public recognize that,” she says. “They've also been very involved in working with colleges of nursing to be aware of the need for nurses to learn about climate change in their programs. This type of curriculum is becoming more widespread in colleges of nursing.”
CU Nursing is addressing climate change in its curriculum. The college's Community/Population Health Nursing course (NURS4877) recently added a climate justice module. |
Reiner works as a school nurse specialist for the Colorado Department of Education and has more than three decades of experience in public health and as a school nurse. She’s seen how the Earth’s evolving climate impacts patients. In one example, she told a story about someone who was questioning a policy relating to electrifying school buses and whether that was economically feasible.
“I mentioned to that person about the health impacts on our students, and since I’m a school nurse, I’ve seen students and their families breathing in the idling diesel from diesel-powered buses,” she says. “The person had no idea there were any health issues related to climate change.”
Impacts to Our Health
Climate change can have wide-ranging impacts on our health. Rising temperatures can lead to heat-related illnesses (like heat stroke) or more respiratory allergies (including asthma). Diseases, such as malaria, West Nile virus, or Lyme disease can spread to different parts of the world. More air pollution can lead to asthma or cardiovascular diseases. Extreme weather like floods or tornadoes could lead to injuries, deaths, or people being displaced from their homes.
“Climate change is expected to cause new and worsening public health challenges, especially among disadvantaged communities,” Reiner says. “Systemic racism and injustice have left economically disadvantaged communities exposed to the highest levels of toxic pollution. Our most vulnerable populations are subject to more powerful storms, floods, and other threats from the climate crisis.”
Focusing on Climate Policy
One way to address climate change is by creating policies at the local, state, national, and international levels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and focus on improving our environment.
Learn More About Climate Change Initiatives |
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Reiner calls climate policies health policies when they include effective measures that increase the chances of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. She also says climate policies become health policies when they address overcoming inequities. Inequities include things like protections for outdoor workers, increased renewable energy standards, or reparations for loss and damage due to climate events. She cited the Inflation Reduction Act, which addresses environmental injustice and incentivizes clean energy.
“Climate policies are health policies when they build adaptation skills and resources for risks specific to a certain community,” she says. “This is why climate solutions are health solutions.”
Reiner says it’s critical nurses get involved in climate policy at any level of government because they are on the frontlines treating patients and see the impacts first-hand.
“There are many, many, many people out there and policymakers out there for us to talk to and to get involved with to increase the level of understanding of how climate change is an existential threat and is impacting our health.”
