Sustainability: an evolutionary concept analysis. Exploring nursing's role within the sustainability movement

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Environmental Science
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The concept of sustainability originated in the environmental movement of the 1950s.
• It has been adopted by management and healthcare but remains ambiguous in nursing.
• This ambiguity impedes the articulation of nursing's role in sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the evolution of the concept of sustainability.
• To facilitate knowledge development within the nursing discipline regarding sustainability.
• To address the ambiguity of sustainability in nursing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Rodgers' evolutionary method of concept analysis.
• Conducted a literature search from 1987-2011 in CINAHL and ABI/INFORM Global.
• Analyzed references based on antecedents, attributes, consequences, surrogate terms, and related terms.

Main Results:

• Sustainability attributes include conditions of change, process, outcome, stakeholder dependence, and social consciousness.
• The concept is fragile, highly dependent on processes and stakeholders.
• Nursing exhibits less concept clarity compared to the management discipline.

Conclusions:

• The complexity of sustainability contributes to its ambiguity in nursing.
• Nursing must clarify the concept to understand its potential role in the sustainability movement.
• Further research is essential for nursing to engage effectively with sustainability.