Nursing students' perceptions of renewable energy sources and awareness of reducing ecological footprint: A cross-sectional study

Background: Environmental issues pose significant health threats, requiring both individual actions and societal regulations. As educators and change agents, nurses play key roles in fostering environmental awareness and sustainable practices. Therefore, it is essential for nursing students to understand these issues and be equipped to address them. Objectives: This study aimed to examine nursing students' perceptions of renewable energy and their awareness of reducing ecological footprints. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants: The population of the study consisted of a total of 500 students studying in the nursing faculty of a state university, 400 students were included in study. Methods: Data were collected during the 2022-2023 academic year using a self-administered questionnaire including a sociodemographic information form, the Awareness Scale for Reducing Ecological Footprint, and the Renewable Energy Perception Scale. Results: Nursing students demonstrated overall favorable perceptions of renewable energy (mean: 93.81 +/- 14.21; range: 25-115) and awareness of ecological footprint reduction (mean: 118.7 +/- 21.78; range: 30-150). Significant differences were observed in perceptions of renewable energy sources based on gender, year of study, place of residence, and whether students had taken an environmental course (p < 0.05). However, ecological footprint reduction awareness only differed significantly by year of study (p < 0.05). A strong positive correlation was identified between scores on the Awareness Scale for Reducing Ecological Footprint and the Renewable Energy Perception Scale (p < 0.01, r = 0.523). Conclusion: The study indicates that nursing students possess moderate to high levels of awareness regarding ecological footprint reduction and favorable perceptions of renewable energy. Increasing ecological footprint reduction awareness may enhance perceptions of renewable energy use, highlighting the importance of incorporating environmental education into nursing curricula to equip future nurses with the knowledge and responsibility to promote sustainability.