Abstract
Background: Climate change is a major global health challenge requiring integration into nursing and midwifery education [1]. Yet, evidence on educators’ awareness, concern, and curricular engagement remains limited [2].
Purpose: This study explored academics’ awareness and worry about climate change and their perspectives on integrating related content into nursing and midwifery curricula.
Design and Methods: A convergent parallel mixed-methods design guided by the Sustainability in Global Nursing framework [3] was used. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently (March–August 2025). The quantitative phase involved 160 faculty members from nursing and/or midwifery programs completing an online survey that included the Climate Change Awareness Scale, Climate Change Worry Scale, self-ratings, and curricular practice items [4,5]. Analyses included descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and correlations. The qualitative phase involved 12 semi-structured interviews analyzed thematically using an inductive–deductive, framework-informed approach with double coding and consensus. Findings were integrated through joint display tables and reported according to the Mixed Methods Article Reporting Standards.
Results: Academics reported high knowledge of climate causes and health effects and moderate concern levels. Awareness of professional implications was moderately high. Three qualitative themes emerged: (1) knowledge and perceived importance, (2) integration processes and interprofessional collaboration, and (3) positive changes and future sustainability. Integrated findings revealed a gap between academics’ motivation and institutional infrastructure. Despite high concern, climate education remained fragmented, often limited to elective courses due to credit and curriculum constraints.
Conclusion and Implications: Climate change should be embedded as a core component of nursing and midwifery education. Faculty in public universities showed stronger motivation but faced greater systemic barriers. Strengthening curricular frameworks, accreditation criteria, and institutional support is essential to bridge the awareness–implementation gap. Embedding climate content will foster climate-literate graduates capable of addressing environmental determinants of health and advancing sustainable healthcare initiatives [6].
Notes
References:
1.Delnat, C. (2025). A Systematic Review of Climate Change Content Integration in Nursing Curricula. The Journal of Nursing Education, 64 (4), 227-234. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20241125-02.
2. Sengul, T., Sarikose, S., Uncu, B., & Kaya, N. (2025). Predictive role of climate change awareness and protective behaviors on quality of life among nursing and midwifery students. Nurse Education Today, 154, 106831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106831
3. Edwards, R. L., Markaki, A., Shirey, M. R., & Patrician, P. A. (2020). A model operationalizing sustainability in global nursing. Nursing Outlook, 68(3), 345-354. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2020.01.006
4. Atakli, G., & Kuran, H. (2022). Development of the Climate Change Awareness Scale. Biological Diversity and Conservation, 15(2), 150–161. https://doi.org/10.46309/biodicon.2022.1079715
5. Stewart, A. E. (2021). Psychometric properties of the Climate Change Worry Scale. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 494. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020494
6. Mohamed, S. A. A. K., & Shaban, M. (2025). Global disparities and innovations in integrating planetary health into nursing curricula: A rapid review as a framework for change. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 20(2), 181–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2025.01.026
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Curriculum Development, Sustainable Development Goals, Interprofessional and Interdisciplinary, Climate Change--Education, Nursing Education, Midwifery Education
Recommended Citation
Guney, Seda; Sarikose, Seda; Sengul, Tuba; and Kaya, Nurten, "Academics’ Views on Integrating Climate Change in Nursing and Midwifery: A Mixed Methods Study" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 73.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/73
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-07-27
Academics’ Views on Integrating Climate Change in Nursing and Midwifery: A Mixed Methods Study
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: Climate change is a major global health challenge requiring integration into nursing and midwifery education [1]. Yet, evidence on educators’ awareness, concern, and curricular engagement remains limited [2].
Purpose: This study explored academics’ awareness and worry about climate change and their perspectives on integrating related content into nursing and midwifery curricula.
Design and Methods: A convergent parallel mixed-methods design guided by the Sustainability in Global Nursing framework [3] was used. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently (March–August 2025). The quantitative phase involved 160 faculty members from nursing and/or midwifery programs completing an online survey that included the Climate Change Awareness Scale, Climate Change Worry Scale, self-ratings, and curricular practice items [4,5]. Analyses included descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and correlations. The qualitative phase involved 12 semi-structured interviews analyzed thematically using an inductive–deductive, framework-informed approach with double coding and consensus. Findings were integrated through joint display tables and reported according to the Mixed Methods Article Reporting Standards.
Results: Academics reported high knowledge of climate causes and health effects and moderate concern levels. Awareness of professional implications was moderately high. Three qualitative themes emerged: (1) knowledge and perceived importance, (2) integration processes and interprofessional collaboration, and (3) positive changes and future sustainability. Integrated findings revealed a gap between academics’ motivation and institutional infrastructure. Despite high concern, climate education remained fragmented, often limited to elective courses due to credit and curriculum constraints.
Conclusion and Implications: Climate change should be embedded as a core component of nursing and midwifery education. Faculty in public universities showed stronger motivation but faced greater systemic barriers. Strengthening curricular frameworks, accreditation criteria, and institutional support is essential to bridge the awareness–implementation gap. Embedding climate content will foster climate-literate graduates capable of addressing environmental determinants of health and advancing sustainable healthcare initiatives [6].
Description
This mixed-methods study explored academics’ awareness, worry, and perspectives on integrating climate change into nursing and midwifery curricula. Faculty demonstrated high motivation and awareness, but their curricular inclusion was limited, revealing an awareness–implementation gap. Strengthened accreditation and institutional support are essential for sustainable climate integration.