Enhancing nurses’ sustainability consciousness and its effect on green behavior intention and green advocacy: quasi-experimental study

Background: Unless prompt measures are taken, healthcare will continue to exacerbate climate change and its effects while also driving up global demand for care. Nurses are in an optimal position to take on sustainability initiatives because they serve as the main healthcare providers. Due to this, nurses need to be ready for their role in sustainable development. This study aimed to enhance nurses’ sustainability consciousness and assess the effect of that on their green behavior intention and green advocacy and assesses the mediating role of green behavior intention between sustainability consciousness and green advocacy. Methods: A quasi-experimental research design was adopted to examine the effect of researcher intervention and to investigate causal relationships among study variables at Sohag University Hospitals The study sample consisted of 114 nurses who were invited to be recruited voluntarily in the study. Data were collected using three scales that involved a sustainability consciousness scale, a green behavioral intention scale, and a green advocacy scale. The collected data was analyzed by SPSS 26.0 using number and percent (N %), mean and standard deviation (mean, SD), independent t-test, paired t-test, and PROCESS macro technique, and two groups were formulated.?? Results: A statistically significant difference in the mean scores of sustainability consciousness (103.76 ± 21.81 VS 71.63 ± 22.31), green advocacy (11.50 ± 2.057 VS 8.16 ± 2.37), and green behavioral intention (12.315 ± 2.366 VS 7.08 ± 2.665) was observed between participants nurses in both the intervention and control group (P = 0.000). Conclusion: Enhancing nurses’ sustainability consciousness improves their green behavior intention and green advocacy. Green behavior intention plays a strong mediator role between sustainability consciousness and green advocacy. The study proves that the adoption of sustainability consciousness (SC) will raise a generation of nurses who are sufficiently aware of environmentally sustainable actions. Along the same line, Hospital managers should set strategies to raise healthcare providers’ awareness of sustainability issues and environmentally friendly practices.