Nurse and midwives: empowered to lead on sustainable healthcare

Summary

Nurses and midwives have a unique opportunity to strengthen their leadership in sustainable healthcare through a new free training programme. Fully funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing, it has been developed to support climate action across health and social care. The series equips professionals at every level with the knowledge, skills and confidence to lead meaningful, lasting change.

The courses are now open to international participants, so as to enable nurses and midwives worldwide access to training by joining a growing movement of health professionals driving sustainable transformation in their practice and organisations.

Content

A global response to a global challenge

The training recognises that climate change is one of the most urgent threats to health and is part of a ground breaking pilot to expand sustainability education for the nursing and midwifery professions. Nurses and midwives are uniquely positioned to shape care that addresses not only the environmental challenges, but reduces health inequalities, improves outcomes, and promotes climate and social justice.

Tailored for different levels

Introduction to sustainability in health and care

This foundation-level course explores the key links between health, environment and sustainability. Designed for frontline nurses and midwives, it provides practical guidance on planning and delivering a small sustainable quality improvement (SusQI) project, with step-by-step support for turning knowledge into action.

Sustainability analysis and quality improvement in nursing and midwifery

Tailored for service leads and managers, this course offers a deeper exploration into SusQI methods and introduces the basics of carbon footprinting in healthcare settings. Participants learn how to assess and improve the environmental, social and financial sustainability of their services—while enhancing quality of care

Sustainable innovation in nursing and midwifery leadership training

Designed for senior nurse and midwifery leaders, this interactive course develops the leadership and communication skills needed to embed sustainability in daily practice, engage teams, and align sustainability with organisational and policy priorities. Participants will explore how to lead adaptation and mitigation strategies and accelerate climate-smart change at scale.

This course is free to access, but spaces are limited.

All three courses are being offered free of charge for registered nurses and midwives, thanks to the support of the Burdett Trust for Nursing. This reflects a growing recognition of the vital role that nurses and midwives play in delivering sustainable, equitable, and resilient healthcare systems.

Booking is now open, and spaces are limited. Nurses and midwives across the UK, and around the world, are encouraged to register early to secure their places: Free global sustainability training for nurses and midwives