Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.24141/1/12/2/10
Climate Change As A Challenge For The Nursing Profession: The Role Of Nurses In The Development Of Climate-Resilient Health Systems
Ljerka Armano
orcid.org/0000-0002-0267-3167
; Fakultet zdravstvenih studija Sveučilište u Rijeci, Rijeka, Hrvatska
*
Martina Trnčević
orcid.org/0000-0002-7407-5473
; Škola za medicinske sestre Vinogradska, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Mile Marinčić
; Veleučilište Ivanić Grad, Ivanić Grad, Hrvatska
Danijela Čiš
orcid.org/0009-0006-3146-4408
; Fakultet zdravstvenih studija Univerzitet u Sarajevu, Bosna i Hercegovina
Aleksandar Racz
; Zdravstveno veleučilište
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Climate change represents one of the most significant
public health challenges of the 21st century and has
profound implications for the functioning of health systems
and population health outcomes. The increasing
frequency of extreme weather events, shifts in disease
epidemiology, deterioration of air quality, and the widening
of health inequalities require the development of
climate-resilient health systems.
Nurses, as the largest group of healthcare professionals,
play a crucial role in adapting healthcare delivery to the
impacts of climate change through patient education,
implementation of preventive interventions, participation
in organisational transformation, and engagement
in the development of public health policies.
The aim of this paper was to analyse the impact of climate
change on health systems and to present the professional
role of nurses in the development of climatesensitive
healthcare. The study is based on a review and
analytical synthesis of international and national scientific
and professional literature in the fields of public
health, nursing, and environmental health.
The findings indicate a strong need to integrate climaterelated
competencies into nursing education, promote
sustainable organisational practices in healthcare institutions,
strengthen community-based public health
interventions, and support nursing leadership in health
policy development.
In conclusion, the advancement of climate-sensitive
nursing practice represents an essential prerequisite
for strengthening health system resilience and improving
public health outcomes in the context of climate
change.
Keywords
Climate change; nursing; climate-resilient health systems; environmental health; nursing leadership; health policy
Hrčak ID:
346610
URI
Publication date:
28.4.2026.
Visits: 68 *