Climate and Planetary Health in Nursing Education: Faculty Survey

Dear Colleague,

Thank you for participating in this global survey designed to assess the current state of climate and planetary health education within nursing schools. Your responses will contribute to an important annual indicator for The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change.

We welcome responses from all nursing faculty, regardless of whether your institution currently includes climate and planetary health content. If there is somebody at your institution who would be better suited to provide details about your climate and health program, please forward this survey to them. Your input will help shape future nursing education and strengthen efforts to prepare nurses to meet the health challenges posed by climate change.

The survey is voluntary, confidential, and will take approximately 10–15 minutes to complete. For any questions, please contact Ashley.Moore@ucsf.edu. Respondents are encouraged to reach out in the language they feel most comfortable using.

WHO SHOULD COMPLETE THIS SURVEY & SCOPE OF PARTICIPATION:

• Nursing faculty, academics, or course coordinators who teach or design nursing curriculum content.
• Faculty familiar with climate or planetary health topics within their nursing programs.
• Nursing faculty at institutions that do not currently include climate content.
• This survey is intended for nursing and nurse-midwifery programs, NOT standalone midwifery programs, as it focuses on how climate and planetary health are integrated where midwifery is part of nursing education.
• This survey is designed to assess nursing education for nurses who are qualified to practice at the full scope of their professional role.

The following eight questions relate to the graphic/information provided above. You will be asked to assess the extent to which nursing students in your program(s) are currently being prepared across ten core competencies in climate and health, as adapted from established frameworks. These include the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE) Competencies (2023), AACN Essentials (2021), the Ecological Planetary Health Model (Leffers et al., 2017), Planetary Health Education Framework (Guzman et al., 2021), NurSus TOOLKIT (Delnat, 2025), Eco-Nursing Competencies (Sibindi et al., 2023), among others. 

While your institution may use a different set of competencies, please align your responses to the following levels of nursing proficiency:

1–3: Factual Knowledge & Understanding 
At this level, students gain basic knowledge of climate and planetary health and develop a clear understanding of key concepts, frameworks, and terminology. The focus is on comprehension and the ability to explain essential principles, but not yet on practical application or clinical integration.

4–7: Application & Analysis
In this range, students begin to apply their knowledge in nursing practice and real-world health contexts. They are able to assess climate-related health risks, incorporate environmental considerations into care, and use clinical judgment to address issues related to climate change and health equity.

8–10: Leadership & Decision Making
At this advanced level, students are prepared to lead in the integration of climate and health in nursing practice, education, and policy. They demonstrate the ability to make evidence-informed decisions, advocate for vulnerable populations, participate in disaster preparedness and response, and influence healthcare systems and policies related to climate resilience.

When you participate in this study, Columbia will collect and record personal information you provide to
the interviewer. In addition, we will collect and record any sensitive personal information you voluntarily
share with the interviewer, such as information about your racial or ethnic origin; political opinions,
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the information you share with the interviewer as “Your Study Data.”

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Investigator identified at the top of this form.

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