Keele_PHRC_2026_NURS - Nursing curriculum and planetary health assessment

Sep 2, 2026

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B-based assessment reviews the Nursing curriculum’s emerging engagement with planetary health, highlighting strengths in waste management coverage across theory and simulation, including reusable equipment, clinical waste and pharmaceutical sustainability. Carbon literacy training and sustainability leadership are present but not yet embedded as a core requirement across all programs. The evaluation identifies gaps in climate change science, health inequalities, infectious disease patterns, and food and water security, recommending deeper integration to strengthen future clinical preparedness. Additional sections assess interdisciplinary research, community outreach, advocacy, and support for student-led initiatives.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages43

Reading Time1 h 48 min

AccessFree to download

Curriculum

Achieving planetary health through teaching

Interdisciplinary Research

Sustainability research structure and recommendations

Community Outreach and Advocacy

Educational placements and student union activities

Support for Student-Led Initiatives

Funding and sustainability-focused webpages

Nursing program knowledge checks

Extreme weather and health effects

Impacts on infectious disease patterns

Pathophysiological effects from degradation and climate change

| Overall Grade | B | | --- | --- | | Curriculum | D+ | | --- | --- | | Achieving 35% overall, the Nursing curriculum demonstrates emerging engagement with planetary health. Strengths include coverage of waste management across theory and simulation, including reusable equipment, clinical waste and pharmaceutical sustainability.
Carbon literacy training is available, and sustainability leadership is established within the school, although Carbon Literacy Training (CLT) is not yet embedded as a core requirement across all Nursing programs.
Some teaching addresses environmental toxins and environmental health issues, Net Zero debates and advocacy within the nursing role. However, significant gaps remain in climate change science, health inequalities, infectious disease patterns, food and water security and communication strategies. Embedding carbon literacy and climate health content as core components would strengthen preparedness for future practice. | | | Interdisciplinary Research | A | | Keele University has a strong research focus on sustainability and factors that affect planetary health with several researchers in the medical school exploring topics that promote sustainability. The Institute of Sustainable Futures is the basis of most of the sustainability research at Keele and provides the opportunity for a variety of multidisciplinary research.
Recommendations: The research undertaken at Keele should have a process by which communities disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental injustice give input or make decisions about the research agenda. | | | Community Outreach and Advocacy | A+ | | The Keele Medical School has meaningful links with several community organisations that advocate for sustainability and planetary health, providing educational community placements for students within the local community. In addition, there are also Student Union events such as the Green Festival, focusing on the university community. Since the last report card, Keele University has provided more opportunities for students to learn more about global challenges.
Recommendations: The medical school could run a community facing event regarding planetary health which would be a great addition to the medical school’s research focused events. Although the university itself runs community facing events regarding sustainability and planetary health, the medical school is not involved in the planning or running of these. | | | Support for Student-Led Initiatives | A+ | | Keele University provides fundingfor student projects across campus which medical students are eligible to apply for. The medical school also has a webpage dedicated to sustainability andplanetary health. Recommendations: A student-ledplanetary health group should be formed with faculty support. | | | 1.1. Does your nursing school offer courses regarding the relationships between extreme weather events, health effects, and climate change? | | | --- | --- | | This topic was explored in depth by the core curriculum. (3 points) | | | This topic was briefly covered in the core curriculum. (2 points) | | | This topic was covered in elective coursework. (1 point) | | | This topic was not covered. (0 points) | | | Score Assigned: | 1 | | Carbon Literacy Training (CLT) (General) is offered to all students and staff at Keele University Carbon Literacy Project-Keele University. | | | 1.2. Does your nursing program provide education regarding the impacts of extreme weather events (e.g. storms, flooding, heat, drought, air pollution) on individual health? | | | --- | --- | | This topic was explored in depth by the core curriculum. (3 points) | | | This topic was briefly covered in the core curriculum. (2 points) | | | This topic was covered in elective coursework. (1 point) | | | This topic was not covered. (0 points) | | | Score Assigned: | 2 | | Student Nursing Associates attend journal club as part of a clinical practice module to d

FAQs

What are the main strengths of the Nursing curriculum regarding planetary health?

The curriculum demonstrates emerging engagement with planetary health, with strong coverage of waste management across theory and simulation, including reusable equipment, clinical waste, and pharmaceutical sustainability.

What gaps remain in the curriculum according to the assessment?

Significant gaps remain in climate change science, health inequalities, infectious disease patterns, food and water security, and communication strategies. Embedding carbon literacy and climate-health content as core components is recommended.

How does Keele University support sustainability-related student initiatives?

The university provides funding for student projects across campus that medical students can apply for, and the medical school maintains a dedicated webpage for sustainability and planetary health, with a recommendation to form a student-led planetary health group with faculty support.

Sep 2, 2026

Upload by Violet