Background:
Cultural consciousness is a central element of purposeful and appropriate health care delivery. Research suggests that cultural consciousness is strengthened through self-reflection, dialogue about race, and experience within other cultures.
Method:
Two cohorts of senior-level nursing students participated in a 1-week cultural immersion service-learning (CISL) experience in an isolated, rural American Indian community. Student reflections and White Racial Identity Attitude Scale (WRIAS) data were collected and analyzed.
Results:
The CISL experience facilitated culturally conscious care in two thirds of the participating nursing students. Differences in WRIAS scores were statistically significant (
p
< .0001) with an effect size of 1.9.
Conclusion:
Implementing CISL experiences into the undergraduate curriculum may help nursing students recognize societal privilege and improve cultural consciousness. Recommendations are provided to assist nurse educators to develop partnerships with indigenous nations, which make CISL experiences possible.
[
J Nurs Educ.
2019;58(2):117–120.]
This article describes a project to engage community members and to determine how a school nurse–community partnership could improve healthcare equity within an American Indian community. The purpose of this community-building project was to establish a relationship among school nurse practitioners, children, and their community in a Northern Plains Indian reservation using a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) model. CBPR requires a partnership between community members and school nurses in prioritizing community needs, developing an appropriate intervention, and engaging the community throughout the intervention project process. Partnering with teachers and the community, we engaged 78 students in a year-long project in which children depicted their perceptions of well-being and wellness through bimonthly art activities. This project laid the groundwork for a strong community partnership with school nurses in addressing the well-being of children and the further exploration of community needs.
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