PhD Student Passionate About Sustainability
PhD candidate Katie North is focusing her dissertation research on environmental sustainability in healthcare.
Katie North has wanted to help the environment for so long that as a teenager when local recycling facilities were unavailable, she would go around to rural healthcare centres, collect their recycling, and bring it to the Winnipeg, Manitoba depot.
As a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) candidate in the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Nursing, North is poised to focus her dissertation research on environmental sustainability in healthcare.
Specifically, she’s surveying the environmental sustainability of a hospital in Winnipeg, aiming to understand both the organization’s feeling about sustainability and then compare that with actual energy consumption.
USask PhD candidate Katie North.
Credit: Submitted.
“I’ve always had a deep-rooted respect for the planet and wanting to reduce the amount of consumption and waste we have,” said North.
She sees a lot of potential opportunity in healthcare settings, from reducing single-use items, to transitioning to biodegradable products, to improving food recycling to upgrading old infrastructure, such as light bulbs and windows.
With an RN diploma, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Nursing, North had already built a career in healthcare, plus earned a graduate studies diploma in Sustainability from USask.
She said she chose USask College of Nursing because Associate Professor Dr. Wanda Martin (PhD) was recommended to her as a supervisor; a relationship that has worked out well.
“The support from Dr. Martin has been really important to my progress in the program and feeling like I have that support from her and some other professors who are on my committee as well,” said North.
“Anytime I’m feeling overwhelmed or questioning which direction I should take, I know I have those supports. They’re great resources, and they have a lot of knowledge they’re willing to share, as well as a lot of connections across Canada for different environmental teams.”
After she graduates, North hopes to find a role as an environmental nurse consultant, a position that’s not yet available in Manitoba or Saskatchewan, but is starting to pop up in other provinces.
“I would ideally like to see something like that created within the Prairies, and occupy a position like that, where I can consult with tertiary care sites and help them roll out initiatives and large-scale infrastructure adjustments to make them greener.”
If you are interested in advancing your nursing education like Katie, consider USask graduate studies. Applications for fall 2026 programs will be available starting in October.
Together, we will undertake the research the world needs. We invite you to join by supporting critical research at USask.