Predictors of Green Behavior Among Hospital Nurses: Organizational Climate, Team Climate, and Awareness of...

This study aimed to examine the relationship between nurses' perceptions of the green organizational climate, perceptions of green team climate, and awareness of consequences, are related to their green behavior in hospitals.

Healthcare is a resource-intensive sector where everyday employee green behavior can meaningfully reduce environmental impacts. Nurses, who work at points of concentrated resource use and waste generation, are pivotal for sustainability in hospitals. Yet, factors associated with nurses' green behavior remain underexplored.

This study adopted a correlational, cross-sectional design and is reported in accordance with the STROBE guidelines. Data were collected from 649 nurses working in six hospitals in South Korea through an online survey conducted in January and February 2025. Multiple linear regression estimated associations between the three predictors and green behavior, controlling for age, conscientiousness, and direct care provision of nurses.

Green team climate emerged as the strongest predictor of nurses' green behavior, followed by awareness of consequences and green organizational climate.

Team-level environmental norms may have a stronger influence on nurses' green behavior than broader organizational climate. Awareness of environmental consequences also contributes to green behavior.

Nurses' green behavior was positively associated with both contextual climates and individual cognitions.

Promoting pro-environmental team norms, enhancing consequence awareness, and aligning organizational practices with sustainability priorities may encourage green behavior. Peer-led environmental initiatives at the unit-level and consequence-awareness training can strengthen shared norms among the team and promote green behavior.

Hospitals should embed environmental sustainability in policies, performance management, and operating procedures, including procurement and waste management. At the larger systems level, environmental metrics could be tied to accreditation and funding.