Nursing and Environmental Health
Nurses in Action
More than 150 nurses from across Canada with an interest in environmental health are connecting through CNA to network with their peers, share resources and benefit from discussing colleagues’ experiences with nursing and environmental health. A new CNA Emerging Group has formed: Canadian Nurses for Health and the Environment. For more information on how to join the group, contact Jo-Anne MacDonald or Della Faulkner.
These nurses are actively involved in addressing exposures to environmental hazards in the home, school, community and workplace. Check out what they are doing to engage patients, students, colleagues and Canadians on environmental health issues. Get inspired by nurses in action! Please note that items are posted in the language they were submitted to CNA.
Public health nurse joins efforts to stop pollution of drinking water
Dump Site 41 threatens the pristine Alliston Aquifer, a fresh supply of drinkable water that does not require any treatment. Christine Kells, a public health nurse in Ontario, is taking steps to protect the aquifer. She joined advocacy efforts with the local Simcoe County community, the Anishinabe people and national organizations. On August 25, their campaign, “No Water to Waste,” won a one-year moratorium on the landfill by the Simcoe County Council to allow for further study and community participation. This was a significant victory in the ongoing battle to protect our nation’s waters.
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Christine Kells |
Christine Kells |
 ARNNL & SRNA |
It’s easy being green
Registered nurses were reminded during National Nursing Week 2009 that even one small act can make a difference to the environment. The Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association challenged RNs to commit “7 Acts of Green” – one for each day of the week. A poster with this theme, which was distributed throughout both provinces, was a great way to introduce the topic and generate discussion. The initiative was designed to raise awareness of the universal nature of environmental issues and solutions.
 Photo: Marg Milburn |
Public health nurses get children to flip the switch for Earth Hour
Susan Allen and Marg Milburn, public health nurses in New Brunswick, helped a group of children become more environmentally aware – and they got it in writing. During an Earth Hour promotion at a school event, children and their parents outlined their hands and signed their names to pledge that they would join millions of people around the world and turn out the lights for Earth Hour. Allen and Milburn work with schools, staff, students, parents and community partners to increase awareness about children's health and the environment.
A clinical group studies nursing and environmental health in their third-year community and population health nursing course
Margot Rykhoff, a professor of nursing at Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITAL) in Toronto, worked with a class of third-year University of New Brunswick/Humber ITAL nursing students to produce a video on the role of nursing students in promoting a healthier environment.
Watch the video – Third-year “Environmental Health & Nursing” clinical group, UNB/Humber ITAL Collaborative Nursing Degree Program
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Nurses talk about the environment during the election Rural nurse Priscilla Lockwood used the environmental health messaging in CNA’s Election Toolkit to discuss climate change and environmental contaminants with Kevin Newman of Global National when he came to her hometown of Tofino, B.C., to talk about the 2008 federal election. Priscilla is seen here receiving a CNA Centennial Award, which was given in part for her activity with the CNA Environmental Health Reference Group. |
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| Priscilla Lockwood | ||
Students and educator team up to raise awareness about plastics Using information from CNA’s background papers and other resources, Gloria Fraser, an educator at the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, along with a group of fourth-year nursing students at the University of Toronto developed a poster to challenge members of the community to think about how they use plastics at home, work and play. |
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| Gloria Fraser & University of Toronto nursing students | ||
A policy adviser at SRNA supports members’ practice with tools |
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| Sarah Liberman, Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association | |
Sarah Liberman, policy adviser at the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association, knows that environmentally responsible nursing practice is important. Her brochure and bookmark help registered nurses in Saskatchewan engage in environmental health issues by providing information and ideas |
International presentation on leading change Hilda Swirsky, a clinical nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, visited China with colleagues Charles Anyinam, Cindy McNairn, Nancy Brookes and Celia Li to talk about how nurses can use their excellent assessment and communication skills to promote environmental health. Many nurses are using the PowerPoint slide decks on nursing and environmental health that are available on CNA’s website as a basis for their own presentations. |
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| Hilda Swirsky | ||
L’OIIQ accepte la proposition d’une professeure en soins infirmiers
Fiona Hanley, éducatrice en soins infirmiers à Dawson College, à Montreal, a fait une proposition à l’Ordre des Infirmières et Infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) en novembre 2007, pour l’inciter à prendre position sur la relation entre la santé environnementale et la pratique infirmière. Pour faciliter le processus, elle a recommandé à l’Ordre de former un comité environnemental. En novembre 2008, au Congrès de l’Ordre à Montréal, celui-ci a publié une réponse positive à ma proposition de former un tel comité en 2008-2009.
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A policy consultant talks about CNA’s leadership on environmental health Della Faulkner, a policy consultant at CNA, presented at the 2009 Nursing Leadership Conference on how CNA is supporting nurses’ engagement in environmental health. |
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| Della Faulkner | ||
Canadian nurses share their stories on the Luminary Project
The Luminary Project is a web-based effort to capture the inspiring stories of nurses' activities to improve human health by improving the health of the environment. Fifteen Canadian nurses – and more to come – have shared their stories showing how they are creatively and strategically addressing environmental problems and illuminating the way toward environmentally safe hospitals, communities with clean air, land and water, and babies born without toxic chemicals in their bodies. CNA is a beacon for the project and encourages you to share your story.
Share your experience
Tell us how you are using CNA’s tools and resources to talk about nursing and environmental health. Send your story, photo, podcast, etc.,* to Della Faulkner. We just might feature it here.†
*Be sure to obtain permission to use any copyrighted material and to use the image(s) of anyone appearing in what you submit.
