New Sigma title arms nurses with evidence-based tools to address climate’s growing threat to public health

INDIANAPOLIS—Climate change is no longer a distant concern. It is reshaping patient care, straining health systems, and widening health disparities in communities around the world. Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) responds to this urgent reality with the release of Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities for Nurses to Protect Health in a Changing Climate, a nonpolitical, evidence-based resource that equips nursing professionals with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to protect patients and communities from the health impacts of a changing climate.

Written by Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN, and developed with contributions from global climate and health experts, Taking Action presents a clear, actionable road map for addressing one of the most significant public health challenges of our time. Organized around 10 concrete priorities, the book empowers nurses to move beyond awareness and into action—leading efforts that protect individuals, families, and communities today while building a more resilient healthcare system for generations to come.

“Nurses across the globe are essential for both minimizing and responding to the negative impacts of climate on health,” said Vincent Guilamo-Ramos of the Institute for Policy Solutions at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. “As the global climate crisis escalates, inequities in negative health impacts will worsen, particularly for those most exposed and susceptible to the harmful effects of climate. The invaluable lessons described in this new book address an urgent and sorely needed area of nursing practice.”

Nurses are among the world’s most trusted health professionals and are uniquely positioned to serve as advocates, educators, and leaders in the climate-health space. Taking Action recognizes and amplifies that potential, providing a practical framework nurses can apply in clinical settings, communities, and policy environments alike.

The book is available to purchase at SigmaMarketplace.org/Books.

Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities for Nurses to Protect Health in a Changing Climate
Edited by Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN
Published by Sigma, 2026
ISBN-13: 978-1-64648-109-5
EPUB ISBN: 978-1-64648-145-3
PDF ISBN: 978-1-64648-14-7
Price: US $39.95
Trade paperback, 314 pages
Trim size, 6x9 in.

About the authors:

Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Founder and Principal of Sulu Coaching and Consulting with a coaching practice focused on nurses. She is a Professor of Nursing at Florida State University and adjunct faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

She has devoted her career to strengthening the nursing profession, improving population health, and advancing health equity. During her 25 years at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, she shaped and led the Foundation’s nursing strategies in an effort to create a high quality of care in the United States for people, families, and communities.

Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN, is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and the Executive Director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE), the leading global nursing organization focused on the intersection of human and planetary health. With ANHE, she works with nurses and nursing organizations around the globe to elevate environmental health issues amongst the nursing profession. She is a passionate supporter of nurse-led advocacy in support of healthier environments for all and strongly believes in the power of nursing to create positive change. 

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About Sigma:
The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere. Founded in 1922, Sigma has more than 100,000 active members and 600 chapters at institutions of higher education and healthcare partners from Armenia, Australia, and Botswana to Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Sigma members include clinical nurses and administrators, academic nurse educators and researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others working to fulfill the organization’s vision of connected, empowered nurse leaders transforming global healthcare.

Learn more at SigmaNursing.org.