Episode 111: Extreme Heat

36 min listen

Record-Breaking Heat Waves: A Rising Global Concern

According to the European Union's **Copernicus Climate Change Service**, June 2024 marked the thirteenth consecutive month of record-breaking global temperatures. This relentless rise in temperatures poses severe health risks, with the **Centers for Disease Control** estimating that approximately 1,200 people in the United States die annually from extreme heat-related conditions such as heat stroke and dehydration. These incidents are expected to climb, particularly affecting vulnerable groups including children, the unhoused, and the elderly.

The Role of Nurses in Addressing Climate-Induced Health Emergencies

As frontline responders to public health threats, nurses are uniquely positioned to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and extreme heat. This episode highlights the pivotal role that nurses play in both responding to and mitigating the health and economic impacts of extreme weather conditions. Through a specially curated playlist and sampler, we showcase real-world examples of nurse-led initiatives that are making a significant difference.

Nurses Leading Community Health Initiatives Against Extreme Weather

Listen to inspiring stories of how nurses are leading the way in community health during times of extreme heat and other weather-related events. This episode not only emphasizes the critical role of nurses in healthcare but also in environmental stewardship, as they implement and advocate for strategies that protect vulnerable populations from the escalating threats posed by climate change.

About See You Now Podcast

See You Now is a podcast highlighting the innovative and human centered solutions that nurses are coming up with to solve for today’s most challenging, healthcare problems, created in collaboration with Johnson and Johnson and the American Nurses Association and hosted by nurse, economist and health tech specialist, Shawna Butler.

Resources

• ANA Position Statement on Nurses’ Role in Addressing Global Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health
• ANA Innovation Advisory Committee on Planetary and Global Health Resource Guide
• 2023 set record for U.S. heat deaths: AP analysis
• 2023 Was Warmest Year in the Modern Temperature Record
• Chief heat officer: A new job in the fight against climate change
• This Isn't Your Grandparents' Summer Heat
• Extreme heat: The economic and social consequences for the United States - Atlantic Council
• HEAT.gov - National Integrated Heat Health Information System
• Global Heat Health Information Network
• HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity: 2024 Resources on Heat and Health
• HeatRisk: Find your heat forecast and tips to stay safe and cool
• Ready.Gov: Plan for Climate Hazards Before They Happen
• CDC Quick Start Guide for Clinicians on Heat and Health
• CHILL'D OUT: Heat and Health Risk Factor Screening Questionnaire for Health Professionals
• Heat and Medications: Guidance for Clinicians
• Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
• Nurses Drawdown
• Clinicians for Planetary Health
• The Nurse Scientist Helping Farmworkers Stay Cool Amid Climate Change
• Natural Disasters and Severe Weather
• Extreme Heat | Ready.gov
• Extreme Heat Safety | Heat Exhaustion Safety | Red Cross
• Heat Safety Tips and Resources (weather.gov)
• Climate Change- Extreme Heat
• Heat Stress Illness
• Search Heat Stress Illness Data
• Temperature Extremes- Climate and Health