Carmen Álvarez-Nieto1, Janet Richardson2, M Ángeles Navarro-Perán3, Naomi Tutticci4, Norma Huss5, Marie Elf6, Anna Anåker7, Jennie Aronsson8, Heather Baid9, Isabel M López-Medina10. 1. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain. Electronic address: calvarez@ujaen.es. 2. School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK. 3. Faculty of Nursing, Catholic University of Murcia, Av. de los Jerónimos, 129, 30830 Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: manavarro2@ucam.edu. 4. School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia. Electronic address: naomi.tutticci@qut.edu.au. 5. Institute for Health and Nursing Science, University of Applied Sciences, Kanal Street 33, 73728 Esslingen (Baden-Wuerttemberg) 1868 Esslingen, Germany. Electronic address: Norma-May.Huss@hs-esslingen.de. 6. School of Health and welfare, Dalarna University, H\u00f6gskolegatan 2, 791 31 Falun, Sweden. Electronic address: mel@du.se. 7. School of Health and welfare, Dalarna University, H\u00f6gskolegatan 2, 791 31 Falun, Sweden. Electronic address: aaa@du.se. 8. School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK. Electronic address: jennie.aronsson@plymouth.ac.uk. 9. School of Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Village Way, Brighton BN1 9PH, UK. Electronic address: H.Baid@brighton.ac.uk. 10. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain. Electronic address: imlopez@ujaen.es.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Education is a social tipping intervention necessary for stabilising the earth's climate by 2050. Integrating sustainable healthcare into healthcare professions curricula is a key action to raise awareness. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to: i) investigate nursing students' attitudes towards and awareness of climate change and sustainability issues and its inclusion in nurse education, ii) explore differences across a range of countries, and iii) compare attitudes in 2019 with those of a similar sample in 2014. DESIGN: A cross-sectional multicentre study. Data were collected through the Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey (SANS_2) questionnaire. SETTINGS: Seven different universities and schools of nursing in five countries (UK, Spain, Germany, Sweden, and Australia). PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of first-year undergraduate nursing students. METHODS: The SANS_2 questionnaire was self-administered by nursing students at the seven participating universities at the start of their undergraduate degree, between September 2019 and February 2020. RESULTS: Participants from all seven universities (N = 846) consistently showed awareness and held positive attitudes towards the inclusion of climate change and sustainability issues in the nursing curriculum (M = 5.472; SD: 1.05; min-max 1-6). The relevance of climate change and sustainability to nursing were the highest scored items. Esslingen-Tübingen students scored the highest in the 'inclusion of climate change and sustainability in the nursing curricula'. Students at all universities applied the principles of sustainability to a significant extent at home. Nursing students' attitudes towards climate change and sustainability showed significantly higher values in 2019 (Universities of Plymouth, Brighton, Esslingen-Tübingen, Jaen, Murcia, Dalarna, and Queensland) than in 2014 (universities of Plymouth, Jaen, Esslingen, and Switzerland). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing students have increasingly positive attitudes towards the inclusion of sustainability and climate change in their nursing curriculum. They also recognise the importance of education regarding sustainability and the impact of climate change on health, supporting formal preparation for environmental literacy. It is time to act on this positive trend in nursing students' attitudes by integrating these competencies into nursing curricula.
BACKGROUND: Education is a social tipping intervention necessary for stabilising the earth's climate by 2050. Integrating sustainable healthcare into healthcare professions curricula is a key action to raise awareness. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to: i) investigate nursing students' attitudes towards and awareness of climate change and sustainability issues and its inclusion in nurse education, ii) explore differences across a range of countries, and iii) compare attitudes in 2019 with those of a similar sample in 2014. DESIGN: A cross-sectional multicentre study. Data were collected through the Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey (SANS_2) questionnaire. SETTINGS: Seven different universities and schools of nursing in five countries (UK, Spain, Germany, Sweden, and Australia). PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of first-year undergraduate nursing students. METHODS: The SANS_2 questionnaire was self-administered by nursing students at the seven participating universities at the start of their undergraduate degree, between September 2019 and February 2020. RESULTS: Participants from all seven universities (N = 846) consistently showed awareness and held positive attitudes towards the inclusion of climate change and sustainability issues in the nursing curriculum (M = 5.472; SD: 1.05; min-max 1-6). The relevance of climate change and sustainability to nursing were the highest scored items. Esslingen-Tübingen students scored the highest in the 'inclusion of climate change and sustainability in the nursing curricula'. Students at all universities applied the principles of sustainability to a significant extent at home. Nursing students' attitudes towards climate change and sustainability showed significantly higher values in 2019 (Universities of Plymouth, Brighton, Esslingen-Tübingen, Jaen, Murcia, Dalarna, and Queensland) than in 2014 (universities of Plymouth, Jaen, Esslingen, and Switzerland). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing students have increasingly positive attitudes towards the inclusion of sustainability and climate change in their nursing curriculum. They also recognise the importance of education regarding sustainability and the impact of climate change on health, supporting formal preparation for environmental literacy. It is time to act on this positive trend in nursing students' attitudes by integrating these competencies into nursing curricula.
Authors: Olga María Luque-Alcaraz; Antonio Gomera; África Ruíz; Pilar Aparicio-Martinez; Manuel Vaquero-Abellan Journal: Healthcare (Basel) Date: 2022-07-29