Health, sustainability and student travel

• Published in: Nurse education in practice 2012, Vol.12 (1), p.41-45
• Main Authors: Green, Gill, Morris, Jenny, Wade, Margaret
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attrition (Research Studies); Automobile Driving - statistics & numerical data; Carbon; Carbon Footprint - standards; Carbon Footprint - statistics & numerical data; Climate; Climate change; Clinical Clerkship - economics; Clinical Clerkship - organization & administration; Clinical placements; Coding; College campuses; College students; Colleges & universities; Content Validity; Coping; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Analysis; Distance Education; Distance learning; Economic stress; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate - economics; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate - methods; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate - statistics & numerical data; Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs - economics; Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs - methods; Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs - statistics & numerical data; Emissions; Energy consumption; England; Ethics; Female; Greenhouse gases; Health Promotion; Higher education; Humans; Lectures; Male; Nursing; Nursing education; Organizational change; Placement; Polls & surveys; Practice placements; Pre-registration; Preregistration training; Public transport; Public transportation; Questionnaires; Rural Population; Schools, Nursing - economics; Schools, Nursing - statistics & numerical data; Student Attitudes; Student Attrition; Student Experience; Students; Students, Nursing - psychology; Students, Nursing - statistics & numerical data; Study Centers; Survey; Sustainability; Transport; Transportation - economics; Transportation - methods; Transportation - statistics & numerical data; Travel; Validity
• ISSN: 1471-5953; 1873-5223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2011.05.005

A survey of 246 pre-registration nursing students in a University in the South West of England was carried out to explore the impact of course related travel on the student experience. Results from the survey indicated that students’ main mode of transport to practice placements was by car which reflects the rural nature of the South West and the relative paucity of public transport. Long distances that many students travel to their study centre and to placements, and the concurrent financial strain that this creates, impacted negatively on the student experience. Students recognised the need to travel to a place of study and clinical placements and suggestions of minimising the negative impact of travel were offered. These included the increased use of electronic delivery of lectures, attendance at local university premises, the provision of shared transport to placements and placements closer to the student’s home. Few students, however, considered the environmental impact of travel. Higher Education Institutions need to address issues of sustainability through promoting student wellbeing and taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is therefore important that student awareness of sustainability related issues is increased as well as focusing on reducing the environmental impact through organisational change.