Public Health Nurse-Community Partnership Outcomes for Climate Justice

Background: Climate change disproportionately harms low-income and racialized communities, deepening structural health inequities. Public health nurses (PHNs) collaborate with community-based organizations (CBOs) to advance climate justice through education, advocacy, and community organizing. While these partnerships are vital to equity-focused environmental work, little is known about their outcomes. Methods: We conducted a secondary qualitative analysis in 2024 using interview and photovoice data collected in 2022–2023 with PHNs and CBO representatives. A logic model framework guided the analysis of short-term (learning), medium-term (actions), and long-term (social determinant) outcomes. Results: Thirteen participants from eight PHN-CBO partnerships across six U.S. states focused on climate justice in low-income or racialized communities. They reported short-term outcomes like increased environmental awareness, practical skills, and trust in PHNs. Medium-term outcomes included better food access, social capital, grassroots organizing, and regulatory engagement. Barriers to long-term outcomes cited were institutional constraints, systemic injustice, and limitations within public health and academic systems. Discussion: PHN-CBO partnerships yield meaningful short- and medium-term climate justice outcomes. However, sustained progress is impeded by structural and institutional barriers. Transforming public health systems to prioritize community partnership, long-term investment, and climate justice leadership will be essential to advancing more equitable and ecologically resilient futures. Conclusion: To achieve lasting impact, public health systems must invest in relational infrastructure, strengthen organizational capacity, and address institutional barriers. Research and policy efforts should focus on the governance, funding, and leadership structures that shape climate justice capacity. These PHN-CBO partnerships support a more relational, equity-oriented vision of planetary health.