Insight 27: Nurse-led Strategies for Greener Health Systems

If the healthcare sector were a country, it would be the fifth largest carbon emitter on the planet. Yet sustainability remains one of the most underdeveloped strategies in healthcare leadership. In this Insight from Episode 104: Practicing Green Health, Shanda Demorest, DNP, RN, PHN, formerly the Senior Director of Network Experience & Solutions at Practice Greenhealth, makes the case that embedding sustainability into healthcare operations and culture is not a separate agenda; it is a patient safety, health equity, and workforce issue all at once. She offers three clear strategies for healthcare leaders ready to act: identify the right channels of appeal to move leadership, engage communities as true partners rather than passive recipients, and mobilize nurses, who are uniquely positioned to lead this work from the inside out.

If you know a healthcare professional whose work reflects grit, innovation, or extraordinary care—or if that story is your own—we encourage you to apply for the TIME Healthcare Champion of the Year, in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, a branded award.

To listen to this Insight clip's full episode, visit the SEE YOU NOW Podcast Episode 104: Practicing Green Health.

About See You Now Podcast

SEE YOU NOW is a podcast that shines a light on the real people changing the status quo in health: from nurses working in labor and delivery, with infectious diseases, and in hospice; to nurse allies in politics, business and tech. Created in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson and the American Nurses Association.

For more nursing innovation resources from ANA, visit https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/innovation/resources.

Have questions or feedback for the SEE YOU NOW team? Future episode ideas? Contact us at hello@seeyounowpodcast.com.