Affiliation:
1. Faculty of Nursing University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
2. Faculty of Nursing MacEwan University Edmonton Alberta Canada
Abstract
AbstractAimTo understand nurses' personal and professional experiences with the heat dome, drought and forest fires of 2021 and how those events impacted their perspectives on climate action.DesignA naturalistic inquiry using qualitative description.MethodTwelve nurses from the interior of British Columbia, Canada, were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was employed. No patient or public involvement.ResultsData analysis yielded three themes to describe nurses' perspective on climate change: health impacts; climate action and system influences. These experiences contributed to nurses' beliefs about climate change, how to take climate action in their personal lives and their challenges enacting climate action in their workplace settings.ConclusionsNurses' challenges with enacting environmentally responsible practices in their workplace highlight the need for engagement throughout institutions in supporting environmentally friendly initiatives.ImpactThe importance of system‐level changes in healthcare institutions for planetary health.