Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40916075›Full record

ReviewJournal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing2025

The Relevance of Sustainability and the Climate Crisis to the Nursing Profession and Nursing Education: A Literature Review.

Mara Hendry, Tannys Helfer, Christian Eissler, Christian Burr

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Mara HendryBern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0009-7532-1240
Tannys HelferBern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Bern, Switzerland.
Christian EisslerBern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Bern, Switzerland.
Christian BurrBern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Bern, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe climate crisis impacts global health and is exacerbated by the healthcare sector's emissions. Nurses, as the largest professional group, are key to promoting climate-resilient, low-carbon health systems. Integrating climate change and sustainable development into nursing education is crucial, yet gaps remain in understanding their representation in curricula and practice. This review examines the role of nursing in addressing climate change and sustainable development, focusing on their integration into education and related recommendations.

designA narrative literature review was conducted to synthesize existing recent research on nursing, climate change, and sustainable development. No restrictions were applied to study design; however, studies published before 2017 were excluded.

methodsA search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar (January 2023, and updated in August 2024). Relevant studies were screened and duplicates removed. Data extraction followed inductive content analysis, with coding and categorization being undertaken collaboratively. MAXQDA PLUS 2022 was used for analysis, and new findings from the follow-up search were incorporated into existing categories or new ones were developed.

resultsThe review analyzed 33 articles on nursing's role in addressing climate change. Findings highlight gaps in knowledge, delayed responses, and the need for nurses to take on leadership roles. Education is crucial, yet curricula integration remains limited. Nurses must engage in advocacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and policy development. Barriers include a lack of faculty awareness and overloaded curricula. A collective call for action urges nurses to embrace sustainability, strengthen research, and lead in achieving climate resilience.

conclusionThis review highlights the need to integrate climate change and sustainable development into nursing education and practice. Nurses are vital to public health and to addressing climate change, but education gaps hinder their potential. Future research should focus on improving curricula, exploring Advanced Practice Nursing leadership roles, and addressing healthcare system challenges. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Integrating Sustainable Development and the Climate Crisis into nursing education and practice is crucial to preparing nurses for the health challenges posed by environmental changes, as well as for ensuring effective patient care, disaster response, and policy advocacy. Their integration is a process and should be viewed as being a consequence of the delayed responses, as identified in this review. This process should specifically address the identified gaps, such as the lack of basic knowledge concerning climate change and sustainable development, as well as learning to take on leadership roles in practice. More specifically, taking a leadership role includes both acting as a knowledge multiplier and increasing the health literacy of the general population.

Indexed as

Climate ChangeEducation, NursingNurse's RoleSustainable DevelopmentCurriculumHumansLeadershipclimate crisiseducationnursingprofessionsustainable development

Identifiers

PMID40916075
PMCPMC12616759

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.