Sustaining the Unsustainable..

In the face of a multitude of economic, social and environmental crises, old models and systems within healthcare are being found wanting and many of us now wonder, do we cling onto them at our peril.

We know education provides the means whereby societies can consolidate or sustain, ways of knowing, being and doing, that nurture economies or individual societies or communities. In fact, Education is stated as UNESCO’s top priority because it is a basic human right and the foundation on which to build peace and drive sustainable development.

At this point in history then, is it timely to be asking; how do we work towards sustainable education solutions, particularly in Healthcare? Particularly during a pandemic!

The logistical gymnastics necessary to balance work, education and life within nursing when all the crucial resources—time, physical space, internet bandwidth, emotional reserves—are limited, have nudged plenty to the point of despair this year. Yet, we must be mindful of how this is changing the ecosystems within our industry and what wider impacts this will have post pandemic.

This brings us to the topic of sustainability.

Sustainability incorporates many core topics including quality improvement, process and systems design, and workforce planning issues across an integrated healthcare system

• Incorporating sustainable practices in hospitals and healthcare facilities that are good for people, good for our environment, and good for business.
• Using sustainable design and development techniques in hospitals and healthcare facilities to promote healthier, safer, and more eco-friendly environments.
• Growing global population and the production and demand of food.
• Human health risks associated with climate change.

While delivering care, the use of innovative, digital technology routinely, may bring broader societal and environmental benefits, that if not embedded, may lead to unnecessary risk. Virtual immersive advancements are allowing digital transformation to be successfully incorporated. The concept of Collaborative VR, just as one example, has exponential potential to alter the future of work and deliver a variety of impactful sustainable benefits.

A key challenge for sustainability is to help scholarly communities distinguish between educational approaches that seek to sustain the ‘unsustainable’ from those that seek something else, whatever that may be. Research about, or to promote, high-quality education that does not challenge the status quo will likely not readily find a place within forward thinking sustainability policy.

What will it take to steer the battleship away from the status quo? There is room to move at present, to be agile and to pivot towards sustainable mindsets but how long will that turn take?