Upgrading Pediatric Nurses' Awareness about Sustainable Development, Climate Change and its Effects on Children's Health

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Assiut University, Egypt.

2 Professor of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Suez Canal University, Egypt.

3 Professor of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Assiut University, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: Environmental climate change are the core of sustainable development paradigm taking into account recent global challenges. Pediatric nurse must understand the escalating nature of these threats; anticipate their effects on children's health. Aim: to upgrading pediatric nurses' awareness about sustainable development, climate change and its effects on children's health. Subjects and Method: The pre–posttest quasi-experimental research design was used. Sample: A convenient sample of 100 pediatric nurses at Assiut Children's University Hospital. Tools: Sustainable development and climate change questionnaire form,pediatric nurses' knowledge about sustainable development and climate change, and a modified Likert's scale of pediatric nurses’ attitudes. Results: Reveals a highly statistically significant differences were observed between the pre and post program intervention related to total pediatric nurses' knowledge  and level of attitude about sustainable development and climate change as majority (80.0%) of them had satisfactory level of knowledge and (86.0%) of them had positive attitudes in the post program test.  Conclusion: Significant differences were clearly identified for pediatric nurses in pre-and post- program implementation about sustainable development, climate change and its effect on children's health as the majority of the studied nurses had satisfactory level knowledge and positive attitudes in the post-test after the program application. Recommendations: It is important to updatepediatric nurses' knowledge regarding sustainable development, climate change through continuing educational programs. There is a need for explicit sustainability education within nursing education curricula.

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