Climate change awareness among nursing students: A serial mediation model of knowledge pathways.

BACKGROUND: Climate change is a major global health threat, requiring healthcare professionals to engage in mitigation and adaptation. Nursing students need adequate awareness of climate-related health issues to fulfil this role. AIM: To assess climate change awareness among nursing students and examine the relationships among its dimensions using a serial mediation model. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: The study included 217 undergraduate nursing students from a public university in Türkiye (2022-2023). Data were collected using an online questionnaire and analyzed using serial mediation analysis (PROCESS Model 6). RESULTS: Climate change awareness was moderate (3.50 ± 0.57). Awareness of climate action within the Sustainable Development Goals and support for integrating climate change into the nursing curriculum were significantly associated with climate change awareness (p < .05). Serial mediation analysis indicated that awareness of climate change causes was indirectly associated with awareness of global climate organizations via energy consumption awareness and awareness of climate change effects (B = 0.062, 95% CI [0.010, 0.153]). Energy consumption awareness was negatively associated with awareness of global climate organizations. CONCLUSION: Climate change awareness can be understood as a multidimensional construct encompassing knowledge, behavioral awareness, and understanding of global responses. Integrating climate change education into nursing curricula is essential to strengthen climate change awareness and prepare environmentally responsible nurses.