Nurses play an important role in preparing excessive heat

Extreme heat has a major impact on health care, and nursing particularly. “As temperatures rise to unsafe levels, nurses may encounter a variety of issues in their work environment and the care they provide to patients,” said Kimberly Bailey, MA, SCCEM, NRP, system director of inpatient emergency management at Southern Carolina Health University .

Nurses in all care settings should prepare to guard the health of vulnerable populations. “Climate change increases the number and duration of extreme heat events,” warned Michelle DePhillips, DNP, RN, ACNPC-AG, ACHPN, assistant professor at the University of Delaware School of Nursing.

Risk to patients

Nurses on the front lines care for patients with heat-related illnesses, dehydration, and exacerbated cardiovascular, respiratory, and other chronic conditions. “Extreme heat impacts many vulnerable populations and increases both hospitalizations and mortality,” DePhillips said.

High temperatures can cause or worsen many health conditions. “Patient census may be longer, and many patient populations may have additional complicating factors,” said Dr. Kasey Jordan, RN, CPH, assistant professor in the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Jordan added that during extreme heat, these groups are at increased risk of negative health effects:

• Patients with respiratory, heart or kidney disease
• Small children
• Older adults
• Disabled people
• People experiencing poverty
• People working outdoors

At HonorHealth Shea Medical Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, the majority of patients presenting with heat-related symptoms are homeless and out-of-state. “That said, locals are not immune to the effects of temperatures above 110 degrees, and they are on the rise,” said Susie Whitt, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, director of clinical nursing.

Excessive heat also threatens patient safety indirectly. For example, it may impact the infrastructure of healthcare facilities. This causes power outages or interruptions to key services. “Ambulances and other medical transport vehicles may experience challenges due to heat and increased demand,” Bailey added.

You can help patients prepare for excessive heat warnings at home. “Nurses can discuss how to prevent medications from overheating or how patients can continue taking their medications treatments if the power went out,” Jordan said.

Nurses are also at risk

“Our leaders from the department level up have reminded us to take care of our own health so that we can do the same for our patients,” Whitt said.

Nurses can experience dehydration and fatigue when working in hot environments or during longer shifts during heat waves. “These conditions can impact their ability to concentrate, make decisions and provide optimal care,” Bailey said.

If there is an excessive heat warning in your area, expect a surge in patients. “Nurses may experience an increased workload when they are caring for more vulnerable patients,” Bailey added.

There will be an increase in demand for medical supplies, drugs and cooling equipment in nursing departments. Bailey cautioned that supply chain shortages or disruptions could impact the ability to provide appropriate care.

Steps to prepare for excessive temperature warnings

Hospitals and health systems must do this prepare now in case of extreme heat. Nurse leaders play a key role in ensuring clinics, wards and hospitals are adequately prepared. According to Bailey, here are 10 actions to increase preparedness for extreme heat:

• She added that plans should address patient care, staff safety, resource allocation, communication protocols and coordination with outside agencies during heat waves.
• This ensures that nurses are familiar with heat-related illnesses and appropriate management strategies.
• Units must be well stocked with essential supplies, medicines and cooling equipment. “Nurse leaders should work with supply chain managers to maintain adequate supplies to meet increased demand during extreme heat,” she suggested.
• Nurse managers can work with hospital administration to provide a safe environment for patients and staff to seek relief from high temperatures.
• “This information can help trigger thermal emergency response plans in a timely manner,” she explained.
• It is important to ensure that your HVAC systems are operating optimally, especially in the event of excessive heat warnings. “Regular maintenance and inspection of cooling systems is crucial to prevent unexpected failures,” she said.
• Staff must have easy access to important contact numbers and communication platforms.
• Nursing leaders can ensure that staff know their roles and responsibilities during an actual crisis.
• Working with emergency managers to conduct post-heat wave assessments provides valuable information on the effectiveness of heat safety protocols.
• “This is essential to take care of readiness,” she emphasized.

The essential role of nurse leaders in heat preparedness

Nursing knowledge is an important element in ensuring preparedness for extreme heat. “Nurses have a deep, holistic understanding of patient needs and community health,” Jordan said. “This perspective is needed in emergency planning.”

Nursing leaders must consider how intense heat will impact every day clinical practice. At the identical time, it is advisable think in regards to the larger picture. “Strategies that have worked before will not be sufficient in the future,” Jordan predicted.

Intense heat can have indirect consequences that impact nursing practice. This may have an effect on schools and authorities, for instance. “How will this impact our ability to provide necessary care?” “How will this impact the health and well-being of the medical team?” These are two necessary inquiries to ask, Jordan recommends.

To adequately prepare for future excessive heat, a comprehensive approach have to be taken. “Provide education about the health impacts of climate at orientation and annually,” DePhillips advised.

Nurses may advocate for sustainable hospital practices. “This could have broader impacts on the climate and subsequent health of communities,” DePhillips added.