Climate Justice Strategies Implemented by Public Health Nurses and Their Community Partners

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health Nursing
• Community-Based Participatory Research

Background:

• Nurses are increasingly called to action on climate justice, yet evidence detailing effective strategies remains limited.
• Communities most affected by climate change and industrial pollution require support in transitioning towards environmental justice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe collaborative strategies employed by nurses and community-based organization representatives for advancing climate justice.
• To identify how these partnerships address environmental burdens and promote community resilience.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, qualitative research design was utilized.
• Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and photovoice with nurses (n=8) and community partners (n=5) in the United States.
• Thematic analysis was performed on the gathered data.

Main Results:

• Nurse-community partnerships focused on corporate pollution, Indigenous sovereignty, and multispecies justice.
• Key strategies included investigating health events, connecting populations to resources, health education, community organizing, and policy advocacy.
• Self-care was identified as crucial for sustaining resilience in climate justice work.

Conclusions:

• Nurses and community partners collaboratively strategize to shift communities from extractive systems to resilient, regenerative ones.
• An expansive understanding of climate justice, encompassing pollution and multispecies justice, is vital for promoting planetary health.
• Findings support nurse-community policy collaboration for planetary health and collective action against systemic injustices.