Other Titles
Rapid Presentation Round
Abstract
Background: The World Health Organization has identified climate change as the single biggest threat to human health1. Healthcare systems will inevitably struggle to meet the increasing demand of a sicker population as climate hazards increase in frequency and intensity (e.g. extreme heat, air pollution, extreme weather events)2. The healthcare sector itself, however, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating the burden of disease on the patients and communities it serves3. Radical transformation of the healthcare sector and its workforce is urgently needed to create climate-resilient health systems that align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)4. As the largest proportion of the global health workforce5, nurses have a professional and ethical responsibility to address the health impacts of climate change6.
Problem: Despite its profound impact on human health, climate change is often not integrated into undergraduate nursing curricula or continuing education7,8,9. As a result, many nurses are unaware of the connection between climate change, health, and nursing practice7,8,9,10.
Plan: This action plan, anchored in SDG 13 (Climate Action), aims to empower nurses and nursing students to become advocates and change agents for climate action. It focuses on connecting them with accessible online resources and training on the intersection of climate change and health. Strategies for integrating these concepts into nursing curricula and continuing education are also presented. Central to this effort is collaboration with key stakeholders (e.g. nursing faculty, clinical nurse educators, nurses associations, interdisciplinary partners). Continuous monitoring and evaluation will determine the effectiveness of educational strategies and identify further knowledge gaps.
Conclusion: The ultimate goal of this action plan is to create a climate-smart nursing workforce that advances the SDGs. Empowered with the requisite knowledge and skills, nurses will be poised to influence policy, improve health outcomes, and lead the healthcare sector into a sustainable future.
Notes
References:
1. World Health Organization (2023) Climate change and noncommunicable diseases: connections. Available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/02-11-2023-climate-change-and-noncommunicable-diseases-connections
2. De Alwis, D., and Limaye, V. (2021) The costs of inaction: the economic burden of fossil fuels and climate change on health in the United States. Available at: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/costs-inaction-burden-health-report.pdf
3. Karliner, J., Slotterback, S., Boyd, R., Ashby, B., and Steele., K. (2019) Health care’s climate footprint. Available at: https://noharm-global.org/sites/default/files/documents-files/5961/HealthCaresClimateFootprint_092319.pdf
4. World Health Organization (2023) Operational framework for building climate resilient and low carbon health systems. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/373837/9789240081888-eng.pdf?sequence=1
5. World Health Organization (2020). State of the world's nursing 2020: investing in education, jobs and leadership. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/331677/9789240003279-eng.pdf?sequence=1
6. American Nurses Association (ANA) (2015) The code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Available at: https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing- excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/
7. Leffers, J., Levy, R., Nicholas, P., and Sweeney, C. (2017) ‘Mandate for the nursing profession to address climate change through nursing education’, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 49(6) pp. 679-687. Available at: doi: 10.1111/jnu.12331
8. McDermott-Levy, R., Jackman-Murphy, K., Leffers, J., and Jordan, L. (2019) ‘Integrating climate change into nursing curricula’, Nurse Educator, 44(1), pp. 43-47. Available at: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000525
9. Amerson, R., Boice, O., Mitchell, H., and Bible, J. (2022) ‘Nursing faculty’s perceptions of climate change and sustainability’, Nursing Education Perspectives, 43(5), pp. 277-282. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP .0000000000000991
10. Leffers, J. and Butterfield, P. (2018) ‘Nurses play essential roles in reducing health problems due to climate change’, Nursing Outlook, 66(20), pp. 210-213. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2018.02.008
Note: Additional reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Phi Gamma (Virtual)
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Policy and Advocacy, Continuing Education, Sustainable Development Goals, Leadership, Interprofessional and Global Collaborations, Climate Change
Recommended Citation
Conflenti, Ongelique, "Empowering Nurses as Change Agents for Climate Action: A Global Advocacy Action Plan" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 197.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/197
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-12-08
Empowering Nurses as Change Agents for Climate Action: A Global Advocacy Action Plan
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Background: The World Health Organization has identified climate change as the single biggest threat to human health1. Healthcare systems will inevitably struggle to meet the increasing demand of a sicker population as climate hazards increase in frequency and intensity (e.g. extreme heat, air pollution, extreme weather events)2. The healthcare sector itself, however, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating the burden of disease on the patients and communities it serves3. Radical transformation of the healthcare sector and its workforce is urgently needed to create climate-resilient health systems that align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)4. As the largest proportion of the global health workforce5, nurses have a professional and ethical responsibility to address the health impacts of climate change6.
Problem: Despite its profound impact on human health, climate change is often not integrated into undergraduate nursing curricula or continuing education7,8,9. As a result, many nurses are unaware of the connection between climate change, health, and nursing practice7,8,9,10.
Plan: This action plan, anchored in SDG 13 (Climate Action), aims to empower nurses and nursing students to become advocates and change agents for climate action. It focuses on connecting them with accessible online resources and training on the intersection of climate change and health. Strategies for integrating these concepts into nursing curricula and continuing education are also presented. Central to this effort is collaboration with key stakeholders (e.g. nursing faculty, clinical nurse educators, nurses associations, interdisciplinary partners). Continuous monitoring and evaluation will determine the effectiveness of educational strategies and identify further knowledge gaps.
Conclusion: The ultimate goal of this action plan is to create a climate-smart nursing workforce that advances the SDGs. Empowered with the requisite knowledge and skills, nurses will be poised to influence policy, improve health outcomes, and lead the healthcare sector into a sustainable future.
Description
Nurses must be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to address the worsening health impacts of climate change. Awareness and education are key to empowering nurses as change agents for climate action. This global advocacy action plan outlines a strategic approach to mobilize nurses as climate and health advocates. It aims to create a climate-smart nursing workforce poised to influence policy, advance the SDGs, and lead the healthcare sector into a sustainable future.