Cultural and social dimensions of nurses’ awareness of sustainable healthcare practices in hospital settings: A humanistic perspective toward advancing SDG 3

This study examines the cultural and social dimensions shaping hospital nurses’ awareness of sustainable healthcare practice principles within the Saudi Arabian context, adopting a humanistic lens aligned with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being). Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 256 nurses (mean age = 38.12 years; 63.7% female; 56.6% holding a bachelor’s degree) representing diverse hospital environments. The psychometrically validated Nurses’ Awareness of Sustainable Healthcare Practice Principles Questionnaire (NASHPP-Q) assessed five domains: climate change knowledge, perceived links between nursing practice and the environment, barriers to implementation, education and training, and leadership and advocacy. Findings revealed moderate awareness of climate change impacts (M = 2.90), alongside low understanding of climate-smart healthcare strategies (M = 2.58). A notable theory– practice gap emerged, where high recognition of environmental stewardship values (M = 3.65) contrasted with limited application of waste-reduction practices (M = 3.09). Major structural and cultural barriers included time constraints (M = 4.28), limited institutional support (M = 4.01), and inadequate resource availability (M = 3.76). Only 28.5% of participants reported having received training related to sustainability. Socially, nurses expressed stronger trust in informal peer leadership networks (M = 3.96) than in formal sustainability committees (M = 2.23). These results underscore the need to integrate sustainability competencies into nursing education, redesign organizational workflows, and reinforce institutional support systems. Leveraging peer networks and addressing sociocultural barriers may enhance the adoption of sustainable healthcare practices, contributing to national and global progress toward SDG 3.