What type(s) of engineering should I consider if I want to have a positive, lasting impact on the environment?

Thanks for your question. It is good to see how passionate you are about making a global impact. I believe it is that passion you have that will drive you to make long lasting global changes whether in the healthcare of engineering profession.

If I were you, here are the first two questions I would ask myself:
1)Because you are already so qualified as a registered nurse, how interested are you in transitioning from a health science field – dealing with organic/living things to a field that is more mathematical, physical based and somewhat abstract? Although engineering ultimately has humankind as its end goals, from a day-to-day perspective you are not necessarily receiving that tangible feeling of seeing big societal changes (like you may see in the healthcare profession – at a smaller scale). This is because engineering projects require research and testing overtime, so sometimes it is difficult/challenging to see that end product right away. However, that should not be a deterrent if you enjoy the day-to-day tasks as an engineer.

2) How do you want to make these global changes/impacts – is it through physically helping people and solving these issues from a “medical” perspective, or are you more interested in solving these issues from an engineering/physical sciences perspective?

In both the healthcare and engineering world you can make big global changes, it is up to you to pave your path and get involved with internship opportunities, volunteering opportunities that resonate with what you are good at and what you are passionate about (is it more health related and helping people on a day-to-day basis, or is it figuring out the new technologies that will hopefully provide a broader reach?)

If you choose the engineering route, you may think about going into civil and environmental engineering. Within this field there are many sub-disciplines, such as environmental (hydrology, renewable energy, sustainable materials, climate change and natural disasters) materials and structures, and transportation. You will be solving problems including, what are new renewable technologies and how can we make them accessible to those in need? You could eventually work at Tesla or transportation companies figuring out the next sustainable fuel to power vehicles across the country. 

If you already have your BSc, then you could pursue a Masters degree in public health that can help augment your nursing profession and it may give you the opportunity to pursue more high level impactful work. If you are planning to start a bachelor’s degree again in engineering then expect to get excited about math/calculus, physics, coding. Know that these courses will pay off – but ultimately, it’s not about the degree but what you decide to do with it!