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Ruth A. McDermott-Levy 鈥�96 MSN, 鈥�08 PhD, MPH, RN (left) is grateful to faculty, staff and students at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), especially her host, Hannele Turunen, PhD, RN, director of the Department of Nursing Science (right). Dr. Turunen 鈥渉elped me navigate my research and life at UEF,鈥� says the Fulbright Scholar.

As a Fulbright Scholar in Finland last fall, Ruth A. McDermott-Levy 鈥�96 MSN, 鈥�08 PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN especially appreciated learning about the country鈥檚 culture and introducing to Finnish colleagues climate change and health as part of nursing practice, education and research. Associate professor and director of the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing鈥檚 Center for Global and Public Health, Dr. McDermott-Levy was a Fulbright-Saastamoinen Foundation Health and Environmental Sciences Scholar at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) in Kuopio, from last August to December.

While in this Scandinavian country that reaches into the Arctic, Dr. McDermott-Levy:

鈥� worked with a student in UEF鈥檚 new nursing Master鈥檚 in Public Health on her thesis, a qualitative study of Finnish nurses鈥� observations of health changes related to climate change in Finland. This work will be the foundation of Dr. McDermott-Levy鈥檚 Delphi study to quantify what health changes the nurses are observing related to climate change in various patient populations. The Delphi will be completed this year in collaboration with two UEF nursing faculty members and the graduate student;

鈥� met with the Finnish Nurses Association (FNA) to discuss climate change and health related to how the country鈥檚 nurses prepare to address patient needs. Dr. McDermottLevy posted a blog and collaborated with the graduate student to deliver a webinar. FNA will assist with recruiting nurses for the Delphi study;

鈥� spoke at The Global Climate and Health Summit in Katowice, Poland, last December on 鈥淣urses, Climate Change and Health: A Growing Movement.鈥� The summit, held in conjunction with COP24 (the United Nations climate meeting), was sponsored by the World Health Organization, the Global Climate and Health Alliance, the European Committee of the Regions and Pro Silesia; and

鈥� guest lectured in four graduate nursing courses at UEF on the environment, climate change and global health, as well as at Laurea University of Allied Technology in Vantaa on 鈥淢egatrends in Global Health.鈥�