La crisis climática como reto educativo: análisis de los programas curriculares del grado de enfermería en Madrid y Cataluña

Authors

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.715231
Keywords: education in nursing, curriculum, climate change, global health, environmental health education

Abstract

The ecological crisis is having increasing impacts on human health, which calls for nursing professionals to acquire adequate knowledge to address these challenges and contribute to greater resilience in healthcare systems. To this end, a content analysis was conducted of course syllabi and curricular programs of undergraduate nursing degrees in universities in Madrid and Catalonia during the 2024–2025 academic year, identifying the presence of concepts related to climate change, planetary health, environmental pollution, biodiversity, and eco-social justice. The main findings indicate a limited and uneven integration of these contents within study programs, with significant differences observed between regions and types of institutions. While 89% of Catalan universities include some reference to these topics, only 15% of those in Madrid do so, and public universities show a greater presence of such content than private ones. Environmental training in nursing appears fragmented and primarily focused on traditional environmental health approaches, with limited incorporation of broader conceptual frameworks such as planetary health or critical analyses of the socio-economic roots of the ecological crisis. A knowledge gap is identified, highlighting the need to integrate socio-environmental content and interdisciplinary approaches transversally in nursing education, in order to better prepare professionals to address the health challenges arising from the ecological crisis.

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Published
11-06-2026
How to Cite
Vázquez Tarrío, I., & Casellas Castellano, S. (2026). La crisis climática como reto educativo: análisis de los programas curriculares del grado de enfermería en Madrid y Cataluña . Spanish Journal of Medical Education, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.715231