“As nurses, we have a responsibility and accountability not only for patient care but also for promoting and advocating long-term health practices such as environmental sustainability.”
1. What does “eco-friendly care” mean to you as a nursing student?
Eco-friendly care, in my opinion, provides safe and efficient patient care while keeping in mind how our actions affect the environment by reducing waste, preserving resources, and choosing sustainable options, valuing patient outcomes.
2. Why do you think it’s important for nurses to care about the environment as part of patient care?
It is very crucial for nurses to understand that public health is directly impacted by the environment. Poor waste management, pollution, and climate change play a vital role in increasing illness, therefore placing increasing pressure on health service demand. As nurses, we have a responsibility and accountability not only for patient care but also for promoting and advocating long-term health practices such as environmental sustainability.
3. Have you noticed any eco-friendly or sustainable practices during your clinical placement?
Yes, in some of the hospitals and aged care facilities, they use digital documentation instead of paper; they have installed solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity. I have also noticed that they have developed safe waste management practices by appropriately separating the streams of recyclable, infectious, hazardous, and ordinary waste.
4. What simple actions can you take as a student nurse to help reduce waste or save resources in clinical settings?
As a student nurse, I would always use the resources wisely to avoid unnecessary waste. Making sure to dispose of the waste in appropriate bins to easily recycle. Turning off taps or not letting water dip from the tap and turning off the lights when not required. Promoting awareness to colleagues and encouraging them among practice.
5. What challenges might students face when trying to be more sustainable in healthcare environments?
As a student nurse we encounter numerous barriers or challenges to be more sustainable in healthcare environments for example, as a student we do not have or get the authority to make decisions independently. On the other hand, as student nurses, when we experience heavy workloads, sustainability can feel secondary.
It is understandable that the staff are busy, and they hardly get to promote awareness or to provide support on sustainable practices to their students.
6. How can learning about sustainability change the way you think about nursing care?
Learning about sustainability plays a crucial role in widening nurses’ perspectives from focusing solely on patient care to bearing in mind the health of the environment, community, and future generations. It will act as a bridge to link human and environmental health, promoting eco-friendly and resource- efficient practices. Therefore, sustainability transforms nursing into a practice that balances patient care with the well-being of the environment and future generations.
7. How do teamwork and communication help promote sustainability in clinical settings?
Effective teamwork and communication are key in a clinical setting where nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals collaborate and communicate on methods to reduce waste, conserve resources and introduce open discussions like sharing their ideas and collaborating to implement practices.
8. What is one change you would like to make in your own nursing practice to support a greener future in healthcare?
One change I would like to make in my own nursing practice to support a greener future in healthcare is to reduce waste by being conscious of single use items. By adapting these small and consistent practice I can contribute in promoting healthy environments, thereby maintaining patient safety.