Incorporating climate change into Doctor of Nursing Practice curricula

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Nursing Education
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Climate change poses significant threats to global health and planetary well-being.
• Nurses are crucial in identifying and addressing the health consequences of climate change.
• Current nursing curricula lack sufficient content on climate change and planetary health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a framework for integrating climate change and planetary health content into Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curricula.
• To leverage existing competencies in professional nursing education to guide curriculum development.
• To prepare DNP graduates as leaders in climate change mitigation and resilience efforts.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the "Essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education" (AACN, 2021) as a curricular scaffold.
• Mapping climate change content to established domains, competencies, and sub-competencies.
• Integrating climate change as a consistent theme across existing DNP courses rather than a standalone subject.

Main Results:

• The proposed framework facilitates the integration of climate change education within current DNP programs.
• This approach ensures climate change is a pervasive concept throughout DNP curricula.
• Graduates will possess enhanced knowledge, attitudes, and skills to address climate-related health challenges.

Conclusions:

• Integrating climate change content into DNP programs is essential for preparing nursing leaders.
• The proposed curricular structure provides a foundation for effective climate change education in nursing.
• DNP graduates will be better equipped to implement changes in practice and policy at all levels.