Nursing Students' Thoughts and Knowledge Levels About Global Warming

Year 2024, Volume: 14 Issue: 4, 1091 - 1096, 29.12.2024

Kamer Gür , Nurcan Kolaç , Burcu Çalık Tümerdem , Cansu Nirgiz , Rıdvan Doğan

https://doi.org/10.33808/clinexphealthsci.1504405

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine nursing students' thoughts and knowledge levels about global warming.
Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with 236 nursing students studying at the faculty of health sciences of a state university between May and July 2022. Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Form, the Global Warming Questionnaire. Independent Samples t-test, One-Way ANOVA were used to evaluate the data.
Results: Ninety-seven percent of the students stated that global warming was a public health issue. Students’ mean score on the global warming knowledge scale was 90.02±8.76. There was a significant difference between the mean scale score participating in activities on the subject, having received information/education on environment, climate change aside from undergraduate education, wanting to become a member of an environmental non-governmental organization, and school year (p <.05).
Conclusion: Participants’ knowledge level about global warming was above the average value of the scale. However, they still needed information, greater sensitivity to participate in environmental non-governmental organizations, global warming activities. For all these reasons, it is recommended that nursing students increase their knowledge and sensitivity during their undergraduate education, learn ways to combat the adverse effects of climate change, put them into practice.

Keywords

Global warming, knowledge, nurses, thinking

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by Üsküdar University Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee (Approval date: April 2022-55 Number: 61351342)

Supporting Institution

The authors received no financial support for the research

Thanks

We thank all students who participated in our research

References

• Rocque RJ, Beaudoin C, Ndjaboue R, Cameron L, Poirier-Bergeron L, Poulin-Rheault RA, Fallon C, Tricco AC, Witteman HO. Health effects of climate change: An overview of systematic reviews. BMJ 2021;11(6):e046333. DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046333
• Shi Z. Impact of climate change on the global environment and associated human health. OAlib. 2018;5(10):1-6. DOI:10.4236/oalib.1104934
• Liao H, Lyon CJ, Ying B, Hu T. Climate change, its impact on emerging infectious diseases and new technologies to combat the challenge. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2024;13:2356143. DOI:10.1080/22221751.2024.2356143
• Poortinga W, Latter B, Wang S. Comparing coronavirus and climate change perceptions: implications for support for individual and collective-level policies. Frontiers 2022;13:996546. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.996546
• Cianconi P, Betro S, Janiri L. The impact of climate change on mental health: A systematic descriptive review. Front Psychiatry 2020;11:2356143. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00074
• Firouzkouhi M. Kako M. Abdollahimohammad A. Balouchi A. Farzi J. Nurses’ roles in nursing disaster model: A systematic scoping review. Iran J Public Health 2021;50(5):879-887. DOI:10.18502/ijph.v50i5.6105
• Butterfield P. Nursing’s pivotal role in global climate action. BMJ. 2021;373:n1049. DOI:10.1136/bmj.n1049
• Ekici E. Public health nurses in mitigation of the effects of climate changes. Public Health Nurs. 2020;4(1):77-78. DOI:10.54061/jphn.989135
• Eroğlu B, Aydoğdu M. Determination of pre-service science teachers’ knowledge level about global warming. IJFER. 2016;29(2):345-374. (Turkish)
• Ofori BY, Ameade EPK, Ohemeng F, Musah Y, Quartey JK, Owusu EH. Climate change knowledge, attitude and perception of undergraduate students in Ghana. Plos Clim. 2023;2(6): e0000215. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000215
• Gazeloğlu C. Ünlü Özgoren E. Investigating university students' knowledge of climate change levels via statistical methods: Isparta province analysis. IJANSER. 2024;8(10)335-339
• Bellelli FS, Scarpa R, Aftab A. An empirical analysis of participation in international environmental agreements. J Environ Econ Manage 2023;118:102783 DOI:10.1016/j.jeem.2023.102783
• Sağır ŞU, Bozgün K. Investigation of knowledge levels about global warming and greenhouse effect of preservice teachers. IJOESS. 2017;8(30):1777-1793.
• Kızıldeniz T, Bozkurt F. Evaluating climate change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (kab) in agricultural sciences and technologies education. The Black Sea Journal of Sciences 2024;14(2):619-633. DOI:10.31466/kfbd.1400642
• Kangasniemi M, Kallio H, Pietla MA. Towards environmentally responsible nursing: A critical interpretive synthesis. J Adv Nurs. 2013;70(7):1465-1478. DOI:10.1111/jan.12347
• Richardson J, Grose J, Doman M, Kelsey J. The use of evidence-informed sustainability scenarios in the nursing curriculum: Development and evaluation of teaching methods. Nurse Educ Today 2014;34(4):490–493. DOI:10.1016/j.nedt.2013.07.007
• Tun S. Fulfilling a new obligation: Teaching and learning of sustainable healthcare in the medical education curriculum. Med Teach. 2019;41(10):1168–1177 DOI:10.1080/0142159X.2019.1623870
• Ay F, Yalçın Erik N. University students' knowledge and perception levels towards global warming and climate change. CUJOSS. 2020;44(2):1-18. (Turkish)
• Ergin E, Altınel B, Aktaş E. A mixed method study on global warming, climate change and the role of public health nurses from the perspective of nursing students. Nurse Educ Today 2021;107:105144. DOI:10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105144
• İncesu O. Yas Altıner M. The relationship between nursing students' environmental literacy and awareness of global climate change. Public Health Nurs. 2024;41(1):67-76. DOI: 10.1111/phn.13255