These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Ankur Patel, a 21-year-old nursing student from Terrace, British Columbia, is helping nurses see care for the planet as care for people. 

Tell us about your projects. 

I am on the board of the Canadian Nursing Students' Association. In January 2025, we will ask our members to endorse a position paper and resolution I helped draft, calling on the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing ( CASN) to further incorporate awareness of the impacts of the climate crisis into the nursing school curriculum. The Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment  has recently signed, and it is important to demonstrate student support. 

Nurses need this education to provide the best care. A nurse is often the first point of contact for routine, emergency and preventative care. Nurses who understand the toxicity of wildfire smoke can help people better evaluate their risks of going outside on smoky days. If nurses know wildfires will increase, they will be motivated to have information about subsidies for clean air filtration........

© National Observer