Healthcare professionals are being urged to address climate change, while both the social determinants of health approach and issues that arise from inequalities in health raise the topics of justice, equity, sustainability. The medical profession through journals such as the UK lancet have highlighted concerns and international nursing organisations have also issues position papers. So how are we acting on the ground?
Article The need for a 'sustainability curriculum' in nurse education
Issues and trends on sustainability and climate change are included in the nursing curriculum. Nursing curriculum is revisited and revised based on impact of change in health care system and society. How knowledge, skills and value on sustainability and climate change are transforming in the practice environment needs to be addressed. Facilitating and restraining forces influencing education-sustainability relationship should be identified. Data are needed to come up with strategic plan and intervention.
This is difficult in an undergraduate eduation in nursing, primarily because of the nature of the certifying exam, and the stress nursing students have to learn for the "test" and to learn basic skill sets in clinical settings. There are strides being made, however, in individual departments. With my background as an Advanced Holistic Nurse, Board Cerified, with a Masters of Nursing Education, I teach a holistic studies 3 credit elective course for BSN students at Endicott College. We look at many areas of well-being, and through my doctoral study with the CIIS PhD Transformative Studies Program, I am learning how to address issues in a more Systems oriented manner (The Systems theory of Cybernetics, from Gregory Bateson for example) This helps nursing students to consider the relationship and interdependence between all life, in their daily choices of how they nourish themselves, from slowing down through creativitiy, to connecting with the natural world, to literally recognizing that sourcing food from local farms rather than the supermarket can make a difference! It is easy to overwhelm undergraduate students, so I plant seeds, and try to stay positive, while engaging them in self reflective and collective, experiential learning. At Endicott, I am also collaborating with a nursing faculty member who is teaching her own Environmental Studies Course, and I will guest present on the issue of GMO pesticide ready plants and it's effect on the body this Fall. That course is drawing upon students from nursing, and from the school fo environmental studies. My course also draws students from other disciplines who wish to incorporate Holistic and Integral Studies into their area of study. This Transdisplinary/Transprofessional approach to higher education is essential going forward, and in my opinion, of particular value in the healing professions.
That is great stuff Johanna! and all of the concepts you outline are part of the sustainability agenda. I feel we can address these ideas without always having to 'badge' it as sustainability. And yes Florence I agree the forces restraining and helping this agenda do need identifying, There are great ways to circumvent outright opposition though, and Johanna's approach is one way of doing so.
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