Healthcare professionals, whether stationed in permanent locations or working in travel nursing jobs, must prepare for the imminent threat of climate change on patient health. According to the World Health Organization, the 20-year span between 2030 and 2050 will contribute to approximately 250,000 additional annual deaths due to climate change. Causes of death will likely include malnutrition, diarrhea, heat stress and malaria.
A June 2015 report from the Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change shed light on the relationship between climate change and human health. Specifically, this shift is responsible for increased floods, heat stress, dangerous storms and droughts, which in turn put human health at risk. Air pollution poses another threat to people, and nurses are seeing more affected patients in their care.
Air pollution and asthma
Nurse.com highlighted the views of Katie Huffling, D.C. midwife and program director for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. Huffling noticed a relationship between days with especially high air pollution levels and aggravated asthma symptoms in pregnant mothers. The trend of wheezing and coughing was so apparent that she told soon-to-be moms to stay indoors on days with elevated air pollution levels. But what happens when those patients don't have access to a car and need to expose themselves to the tainted air just to get to work? Clearly, the issue at hand requires a big-picture solution.
"As more and more [scientific data] is coming out, this is the biggest public health threat that we face today," said Huffling. "Nursing is about prevention and advocacy. There are a lot of positive things we can do."
Nurses must adjust to environmental shifts by preparing for individuals to come in with symptoms related to polluted air and other climate change components. They should offer patients adequate advice to limit their exposure to the air, such as to remain indoors for the day. Additionally, air pollution can also contribute to cardiovascular conditions, like heart disease and stroke.
Rising temperatures and heat-related illnesses
The combination of rising temperatures, more extreme weather and other climate change factors contributes to excessive heat. According to the Weather Channel, the spike in temperature on those dog days of summer has been apparent since the 1970s, and it's only getting worse. The problem stems from greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, which trap heat in the atmosphere. The lingering substances accelerate the rise in temperature.
As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained, this shift leads to heart-related illness and death. When the body's sweat isn't enough to defend patients from extreme heat, they can experience heat-related illnesses. This threat is greater for young children and older adults whose bodies can't regulate internal temperature as easily. Travel nurses can help with prevention by advising parents or caretakers of the unique risks for these populations.
This is especially important for travel nurses working in geriatric care. In fact, many senior care communities are situated in warm environments like Florida and Arizona, so the risk is even more prevalent. Some senior patients, particularly those with dementia, may not be able to communicate their symptoms. As such, healthcare professionals should keep climate change at the forefront of their minds and be able to recognize symptoms quickly to provide prompt care. As Medical Daily noted, common signs of heat stroke include paleness, rapid heart rate, high body temperature and confusion.
Elevated sea levels and contaminated water sources
Travel nurses with assignments on coastal areas must prepare for the health impact of elevated sea levels. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, sea levels rose approximately seven inches during the 20th century. That rate many accelerate in the future due to a combination of sinking land mass and melting glaciers. This component of climate change may have a negative impact on human health due to contaminated water. According to the CDC, healthcare professionals continually see patients with cholera, leptospirosis, cryptosporidiosis and campylobacter.
Sea level rise causes contaminated water to seep into freshwater sources, which many coastal regions use for drinking. As such, unsuspecting people are consuming potentially harmful bacteria. Travel nurses must prepare for this by realizing contaminated water sources may be the culprit for illnesses, especially in areas near the ocean.