Title

Factors Influencing Arab Nursing Students' Attitudes toward Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability and their Inclusion in Nursing Curricula

Abstract

Objective: To assess the factors influencing the attitudes of Bachelor of Science in Nursing students toward climate change and environmental sustainability and the inclusion of these concepts in the nursing curricula of four Arab countries. Method: A convenience sample of 1,059 students from four Arab countries was surveyed using the Environmental Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey-2 (SANS-2) questionnaire in this descriptive-comparative study. Results: The majority of the respondents exhibited positive attitudes toward the five items of SANS-2, with “Environmental sustainability is an important issue for nursing” receiving the lowest mean score and “Issues about climate change should be included in the nursing curriculum” receiving the highest mean score. Saudi students had more positive attitudes toward environmental sustainability in health care compared with students from Iraq, Egypt, and the Palestinian Territories. Country of residence, type of community, and knowledge about environmental issues and their impact on health in any nursing course were significant factors that influenced attitudes toward environmental sustainability. Conclusion: The inclusion of climate change and environmental sustainability in nursing curricula in the Arab region was emphasized by the findings. Including environmental sustainability practices in nursing education will help student nurses develop critical thinking and skills in the adaptive delivery of health care, especially when resources are scarce.

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12516

Keywords

Arab region, climate change, environmental health, environmental sustainability development, nursing education

Publication Date

11-1-2018

Journal Title

Public Health Nursing

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