What is your role and/or practice experience?
I have worked as a registered nurse in public health, acute care, and the emergency department for the past 4.5 years in the small town of Hay River, Northwest Territories.
What is your experience in environmental sustainability and/or environmental justice? What are some environmental sustainability projects you have led, implemented, participated in or are currently working on in your role as a nurse?
For the past 3.5 years I have been the Northern Region Representative for the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment (CANE) executive board. In this role I connect with other northern nurses to raise awareness about environmental concerns facing our communities, including climate change and food and water insecurity. I am also seeking to increase northern representation within CANE, which is something our organization is seriously lacking.
How did you get started in environmental sustainability and/or environmental justice work? What inspired you?
I have always been concerned about the impacts of pollution and climate change on the future of our planet. Prior to studying nursing, I took courses in environmental science but crippling eco-anxiety made it too difficult for me to continue with this career path. In my first year Community Health class, we had a lecture from an environmental scientist working in Yellowknife who talked about the role of nurses in environmental health. After meeting with the lecturer and picking his brain, I realized that I could combine my passion for environmental sustainability with my career in nursing.
What barriers and/or supports have you experienced when engaging and implementing in sustainability work? How did this affect your ability to implement the sustainability initiative?
The biggest hurdles to conducting sustainability work in the north are the lack of people and resources. We do not have the same variety of environmental groups, NGOs, and academic institutions that southern cities have; therefore, it is hard to get funding, support, and manpower to carry out sustainability initiatives. Much research has been done on northern Canada, yet not enough sustainability work is actually carried out in the north.
How do you recommend others get involved in the type of sustainability work you are doing? Is there any advice or are there any resources you would recommend to other nurses interested in starting their own sustainable practice initiatives?
I think connecting with groups like Ecology North, the Aurora Research Institute, and the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research would be a good place for northern nurses to start if they are looking to start sustainability initiatives. It is more effective to collaborate with existing institutions than to try to stand up alone to your health authority or local government.
Where can others contact you, if they are interested in learning more about your work?
I can be reached at Julia.janicki@shaw.ca if anyone would like to connect and learn more. As well, we are always eagerly looking to recruit more northern nurses to CANE, so please consider signing up as a member if you live north of 60!