Researchers call for investing in hospital nursing workforce to address health impacts of extreme heat
Hospitals should make nurse staffing and supportive nurse work environments a core part of extreme heat emergency preparedness, according to a new editorial from Penn Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR), as record-breaking temperatures and heat-related emergency department visits continue to rise across the United States. The editorial appears in Public Health Nursing.
A new editorial from Penn Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research highlights the critical need for hospitals to invest in their nursing workforce in order to effectively prepare for the health impacts of extreme heat. The authors, led by Eileen T. Lake and co-authors Domenique Villani and Ysabella Perez, argue that building climate resilience in health systems requires ensuring that bedside nurses have the necessary organizational capacity and resources to deliver timely care and continuously monitor patients during heat events.
The research builds upon previous findings linking nurse staffing and workplace environment to patient outcomes such as mortality. Heat-related illness management demands immediate, resource-intensive nursing surveillance to prevent complications like multiorgan failure and rapid patient deterioration. Without sufficient staffing and support, hospitals may struggle to provide standard-of-care treatments during sudden volume surges caused by heat waves.
To address this growing concern, the editorial outlines actionable recommendations for research, education, practice, and policy. It urges health system leaders to integrate investments in nurse staffing and supportive work environments directly into disaster preparedness planning. The authors stress that extreme heat is no longer just a public health issue, but also an immediate priority for hospital preparedness.
By treating nurse staffing and supportive work environments as essential emergency infrastructure, hospitals can better protect patients from the severe consequences of extreme heat.
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