Is Climate Change a Nursing Issue? (Spoiler: Yes)
July 28, 2026
4:00 - 5:30pm ET
Register in advance and invite a colleague to join you!

Nurses already have everything they need to be politically engaged. Whether you’re considering running for elected office, supporting a colleague who is, or encouraging nurses in your community to step forward, Kimberly Gordon makes a compelling case for why nurses belong in politics and policy-making spaces. As the professionals closest to patients and communities, nurses are uniquely equipped to shape the laws that influence the social and political determinants of health. They bring unmatched expertise in advocacy, critical thinking, communication, and ethical leadership. Yet fewer than 1% of legislators are nurses—leaving a significant gap in representation. This session challenges nurses to recognize that policy is practice, and that their voices, skills, and lived experiences are essential to building healthier communities and stronger public policy.

Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Executive Director - The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN (she, her) is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and is the Executive Director the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. Dr. Huffling is an internationally recognized leader in environmental health nursing. She works with nurses and national nursing organizations on a variety of environmental health issues including climate change, chemical policy, inclusion of environmental health into nursing education, and sustainable healthcare.  Dr. Huffling has written numerous peer-reviewed articles on environmental health issues and was an editor of the environmental health e-textbook “Environmental Health in Nursing” which won the 2017 AJN Book of the Year in Environmental Health. She additionally co-authored "Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities for Nurses to Protect Health in a Changing Climate."

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