The Greta Thunberg effect: student nurses’ attitudes to the climate crisis

Abstract

The risks of the climate crisis and environmental damage have recently been highlighted in the media – for example, through the actions of climate activist Greta Thunberg. The negative impacts of the climate crisis on health and healthcare are well documented, with reports of unacceptable levels of risk for the health of populations worldwide. We compared the attitudes towards sustainability and the climate crisis of student nurses starting a nursing degree in 2019 with those from 2014. Study results showed that the 2019 students were more likely to agree that the climate crisis and sustainability are important topics in nursing and should be included in the curriculum. We suggest how this can be achieved and highlight future research needs.