Nature‐friendly hands: The relationship between nursing students' climate change anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and anxiety about the future

Abstract

AbstractAim/objectiveThis study examined the relationship between climate change anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and future anxiety levels of nursing students.BackgroundThe effects of climate change, an important global problem, on people's emotional and intellectual states are becoming increasingly important. It is important to understand to what extent prospective health professionals, such as nursing students, are affected by such environmental concerns and the possible impact of this level on their professional behaviors to develop an environmentally focused approach to health services.DesignThis study was conducted using a descriptive and correlational design.MethodsStudents enrolled in the Nursing Undergraduate Program of a university in Turkey in the 2023–2024 academic year participated in the study. The participants were administered a personal information form, climate change anxiety scale, intolerance of uncertainty scale, and future anxiety scale in university students. The data were evaluated using advanced statistical analyses, and relationships were examined.ResultsAs a result of these analyses, it was determined that there was a significant relationship between future anxiety and climate change anxiety in university students (R = 0.234, p = .000). In addition, there was a substantial relationship between climate change anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty (R = 0.562, p = .000).ConclusionsThese findings indicate significant and linear relationships between nursing students' emotional and cognitive states associated with environmental factors such as climate change, uncertainty, and future anxiety. Developing support and interventions in nursing education is crucial to help students cope with these issues and function more effectively in their future professional lives.