Co-authored by Distinguished Professor Tracy Levett-Jones and Lucy Blakemore
The evidence is overwhelming: climate change endangers human health. Solutions exist and we need to act decisively to change this trajectory.
Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General 2006 – 2017
The World Health Organization has described climate change as ‘the greatest threat to global health in the 21st Century‘. Across the world, rising global temperatures are driving changing weather patterns. Extreme weather events such as heatwaves, bushfires, droughts, severe storms and cyclones are becoming more frequent and severe. These events often result in significant human, economic and environmental loss.
Healthcare workers are on the front line of such events, dealing with the ongoing effect on human health and wellbeing, as well as impacts on the complex infrastructures that support the safe operation of hospitals and healthcare systems. At the same time, the sector is contributing to the problem, responsible for 7% of carbon emissions in Australia.
Whilst tackling such deeply embedded challenges can feel overwhelming, education is well positioned to inform and influence, particularly in our engagement with current and future health professionals. We are already analysing essential knowledge and skills needed to promote planetary health and sustainable healthcare and making changes to teaching and curriculum. Whilst more work is needed, sharing examples like this one shows how we can integrate sustainability into curriculum in engaging, practical and innovative ways, helping to bridge knowledge and practice.
Challenging systemic barriers in healthcare systems
Nurses can make a powerful contribution to both mitigate climate change and to support people and communities to adapt to its impacts. Leadership from nurses to take immediate action to build climate resilient healthcare systems is necessary.
International Council of Nurses
As the largest healthcare disciplinary group, nurses are well positioned to drive sustainability agendas, but few consider themselves as potential leaders in this space. To offer examples of creativity and practical innovation in this space, we interviewed nurses working in clinical, organisational and educational roles who are leading successful initiatives designed to have a positive impact on healthcare sustainability, climate change and planetary health.
The resulting ‘Sustainability champions’ case studies showcase varied examples of leadership from nursing professionals, including re-purposing clean, useable medical supplies that were destined as ‘waste’ and recycling single-use baby bottles. Along the way, they faced challenges from ingrained habits and long-established systems, advocating across multiple stakeholder groups over long periods of time to effect lasting changes.
Simulating climate emergencies in healthcare scenarios
Whilst prevention and mitigation are crucial, we also need to prepare the health workforce to adapt when faced with the catastrophic impacts of climate change. Here we turned to simulation, a familiar learning approach for nursing and midwifery students as they safely prepare for the realities of complex workplaces. Simulating responses to environmental disaster, however, is a newer take on this familiar practice, and in our case takes place via a ‘tabletop’ simulation method. This is a cost-effective, non-threatening educational activity where participants discuss actions they would take when responding to an unpredictable emergency scenario, as well as the roles and responsibilities of key personnel.
In the simulation activity, the atmosphere is collegial and exploratory as participants work in small groups to respond to an unfolding emergency scenario. After clarifying the learning outcomes, participants are provided with the background to a scenario and initial prompts. Over a period of up to an hour, additional prompts are provided with new information and probing questions that challenge the participants to engage in deep thinking and collaborative problem solving.
During debrief and discussion, participants are invited to consider the ‘5S’ focus areas to guide their thinking:
- Staff – available personnel (healthcare staff, local authorities, emergency workers and community members)
- Stuff – supplies and equipment
- Space – facilities and infrastructure
- Systems – policies and processes (when appropriate/available)
- Security – safety and support (yours and others)
The simulation provides an opportunity to explore nurses’ leadership, resilience, and adaptability in the face of unprecedented challenges, both in the immediate response, and in building community resilience.
Embedding sustainability in learning and work
Whilst the simulation and case studies are helpful in raising awareness and supporting students in developing the mindset and skills to adapt to the challenges of climate change, we know there is much more to be done, including continuing to re-develop curriculum, learning approaches and assessment to engage learners as they develop their professional identities.
Working towards this goal is our ‘Planetary Health Collaborative’, a group of researchers and educators from 17 Australian universities who are deeply committed to creating a healthier and more equitable world for current and future generations by addressing the challenges associated with planetary health. You can read more about current research, projects, publications and activities on our website – we welcome you to get involved!