Manila, Philippines — Health Care Without Harm-Asia’s Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, in cooperation with the National League of Philippine Government Nurses, recently organized a training for trainors called “Nurse No Harm,” with over 20 nurses representing various government health facilities in the country.
The training aimed to make environmental health advocates out of nurse leaders not only within their hospitals but also in the communities.
Philippine nurse leaders with GGHH Sustainability Director Susan Wilburn
“Nurses are very holistic thinkers. We think about our communities outside of the hospitals and identify the problems that brought them into the hospitals and health centers,” explained Susan Wilburn, GGHH’s Sustainability Director who facilitated the three-day workshop. “Nurses therefore play a critical role in influencing policies and practices that ensure that health care does no harm to both people’s health and the environment.”
The new Nurses No Harm pledged to promote sustainability in their hospitals.
The training included sessions on identifying environmental health hazards in the community, promoting the use of safer chemicals, and protecting the safety of health workers.
At the end of the training, the nurses pledged to return to their hospitals and start the transformation of their health facilities through more environmentally sustainable policies and practices.