Page 62 - KNJIGA SAŽETAKA

INOVACIJE I IZAZOVI U OBRAZOVANJU I SESTRINSKOJ SKRBI - KNJIGA SAŽETAKA

Implementation of the Topics of Sustainable Development

and Green Surgery in the Curriculum of the Subject
Health Care of Surgical Patients at the Vinogradska

Nursing School

The World Health Organization states that the climate crisis is the biggest threat to
health. Actions must be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which involves changes at
every level, from the global to the personal, including health systems and surgical practice. For
some, it is a surprise that the healthcare system is part of the problem and the solution because
the 2023 report Green Surgery: Reducing the Environmental Impact of Surgical Care shows
that healthcare systems are responsible for 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If
healthcare systems were a country, they would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases,
and most healthcare systems have increasing emissions. Surgical practice is one of the largest
consumers of health system resources - around 27% of NHS England's financial spending with
5.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. An increasing number of healthcare systems are
dedicated to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, which implies significant changes in
energy supply, healthcare facility design, transportation, procurement, and clinical practice.
During the implementation of the changes, the active participation of the academic
community is also expected.

Healthcare professionals are increasingly being called upon to confront the implications of the
climate and environmental crisis on patient health and well-being, a crisis that stems from
global environmental degradation. However, these professionals and the educators who train
them often express a lack of preparedness to tackle these issues and advocate for potential
solutions. The next generation of healthcare professionals is demanding that the education
system equip them with the skills and knowledge to contribute to a more sustainable future in
the nursing profession. This research aims to address this pressing need.

The goal of the research is to examine the perception of teachers of professional subjects who
teach Health care of surgical patients at Vinogradska Nursing School about their familiarity
with the concept of "Green and sustainable surgery," the need for and the very application of
the concept, and how much and in what way they implement these topics when teaching.

In the near future, it will be necessary to implement the concept of "Green and Sustainable
Surgery" in formal education through curricula so that the educational system can prepare
nurses for the labor market with the necessary new knowledge and skills.

Key words: sustainable development, green surgery, curriculum, nursing profession

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