Shanda is an active member of Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate and a co-founder of the sister group Health Students for a Healthy Climate. She practices cardiovascular nursing at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Shanda leads the Nurses Climate Challenge, a collaborative effort between Health Care Without Harm and Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments with the aim of educating 5,000 health professionals on climate and health. Her current scholarly work involves educating and activating nurses and other health professionals around the health impacts of climate change.