Nurses and nature; Does green space make a difference?

Abstract

How we engage in and with nature is of growing interest in relation to our health and well-being. For nurses with stressful workloads that are contributing to fatigue, psychological burden, insomnia, and decreased coping strategies, interactions with nature or green space are essential as it has been demonstrated to facilitate better environments and outcomes for nurses. Evidence of the impact of nature is limited. However, the value of interactions with nature has been prioritised by the World Health Organization and so healthcare organizations should be considering overt and practical ways to ensure nurses, and other healthcare providers, are exposed to nature to contribute towards healthier environments.