Developing a Cultural Immersion Service-Learning Experience for Undergraduate Nursing Students

Abstract

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.]

Educational Interventions to Improve Graduating Nursing Students' Practice Readiness

“…Feather et al24 described a health coaching training project after which students were evaluated in their ability to coach volunteer patients at risk for developing chronic disease. Alexander-Ruff and Kinion25 designed a 1-week cultural immersion service-learning experience to increase cultural consciousness in students. Chan26 developed a simulation to explore students' ability to recognize and respond to patient cues during routine care.…”

Beliefs around the causes of inequities and intergroup attitudes among health professional students before and after a course related to Indigenous Peoples and colonialism

“…In one such study, nursing students in Australia who took a course about Indigenous Peoples and colonialism reported less negative intergroup attitudes [ 36 ]; they were less likely to agree with statements such as ‘Land rights for Aborigines are just a way of them getting more than they deserve’ or ‘Aboriginal people get given more government money than they should’. Likewise, nursing students engaged in a cultural immersion service-learning experience in an isolated rural American Indian community reported more positive attitudes on items assessing blatant racist attitudes (e.g., I believe that Native Americans are inferior to Whites), modern racist attitudes (e.g., I don’t understand why Native American peoples blame all White people for this social misfortunes), and other related intergroup variables (e.g., I believe I know a lot about black [people’s customs]; I am comfortable talking to Native Americans; [ 42 ]).…”

Addressing Health Inequities through Simulation Training and Education in Rural and Tribal Communities

“…Simulation-based education is an effective method for teaching and learning for nursing students in a safe, controlled environment, where students are provided a simulated experience of an actual clinical situation to increase students' hands-on practice and knowledge not only of clinical skills but also cultural care and communication without the risk of harming a real patient [10,11]. Further, clinical opportunities in rural and culturally diverse settings such as American Indian communities can support and enhance learning opportunities for nursing students [12] and perhaps even for faculty. This paper describes a two-year HRSA-funded Nursing, Simulation Education Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) Simulation Education Training (SET) project.…”