Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability
Amy Barrett
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
During her studies, Amy identified a public health gap in Oldham related to climate change. District Nurses visit service users in and around their communities predominately using cars, which is contributing to air pollution. She advocated that addressing air pollution at a District Nursing level would empower service users to lead healthy, cleaner lives. Amy has implemented a creative and innovative approach to addressing air pollution by implementing an electric car into her District Nursing service. In the long term, Amy aims to introduce a sustainability link nurse within her own organisation to champion sustainability and net zero issues.
Victoria Edleston, Akira Madams and Kendall Robbins
King’s College London
King's College London pre-registration nursing students Victoria Edelson (BSc Mental health), Akira Madams (MSc Adult Nursing) and Kendall Robbins (BSc Adult Nursing) have demonstrated their commitment to environmental sustainability in the educational environment. Victoria and Akira carried out an audit of the clinical waste produced in clinical skills sessions with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of the educational sessions and raising awareness amongst students and staff. Kendall articulated concerns about the disposal of nursing student uniforms and the global impact this is having and made suggestions that the faculty and wider University can easily implement.
Emma Hansford
University of Brighton
I am a 3rd year adult student nurse at the University of Brighton, with a developed interest in sustainability in nursing and healthcare. I have created a training video on unnecessary glove usage within nursing, and contributed through collaborative working into a project on wastage from clinical skills within the school. I am the lead nursing student for the 2023 Planetary Health Report Card and a member of the schools, sustainability special interest group. I have created a presentation on sustainability in healthcare which I hope to use in the future to raise awareness.
Jack Holbrook
University of the West of England
In this entry, a mental health nursing student aligns the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct, Future Nurse Standards, and Mental Health Nurses' Handbook with a noteworthy contribution to sustainability by dedicating extra time to raise climate change awareness. Focusing on the impact of environmental factors on mental health, they produced a report on vascular dementia and its ties to climate change. The report was presented at international conferences, highlighting a reinterpretation of nursing codes to address climate-related health issues, showcasing a substantial commitment to promoting awareness.
Chioma Eucharia Nnajidema
University of Worcester
Christine Elliott, Chair of the Health and Care Professions Council summarises the importance of sustainability efforts in healthcare by stating that immediate efforts are expedient by healthcare professionals to tackle predictable challenges within healthcare for the future. The impetus behind my efforts to make a change in sustainability within healthcare is centred around this statement. As a student nurse, I strongly believe that through efforts including health education, and volunteering, I have made a difference and will continue to make a difference both locally and globally towards raising awareness about the best practices to promote a greener world.