Climate Change Awareness and Anxiety Among Nurses in Türkiye: Predictors, Paradoxes, and Implications for Sustainable Nursing Practice - A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the levels of climate change awareness and climate change–related anxiety among actively practicing nurses in Türkiye and to examine the predictors of this relationship.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Data were collected online from 347 nurses using a sociodemographic form, the Climate Change Awareness Scale (CCAS), and the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAnxS). Data analysis included nonparametric tests with Bonferroni adjustment and hierarchical multiple regression to identify predictors of eco-anxiety.

Results: Nurses demonstrated moderate climate change awareness mean (2.97 ± 0.57) and relatively high levels of anxiety mean (17.52 ± 5.72). Awareness was highest in the “energy consumption” domain but significantly lower regarding “international agreements.” Female nurses reported significantly higher anxiety than males (U = 4792.5, P <.001), while those who had received climate-related training showed lower anxiety levels (U = 8994.0, P = .001). Regression analysis revealed that climate change awareness (β = .23, P <.001) and female gender (β = −.35, P <.001) were the strongest predictors of anxiety, explaining 20.9% of the variance.

Conclusion: The findings identify an awareness–anxiety paradox, where increased environmental literacy is associated with elevated psychological distress. To foster sustainable nursing practices in Türkiye, it is critical to integrate climate health education with psychosocial resilience-building strategies. These interventions should be gender-sensitive and institutionally supported to empower nurses as environmental health leaders.

Cite this article as: Erkayıran O, Kuddaş NB. Climate change awareness and anxiety among nurses in Türkiye: predictors, paradoxes, and implications for sustainable nursing practice. Arch Health Sci Res. 2026, 13, 0280, doi: 10.5152/ArcHealthSciRes.2026.25280.