Improving nursing student cultural competence: Comparing simulation to case-based learning

Abstract

Background: Cultural competence encompasses knowledge, skills, and comfort in caring for patients from diverse cultures and is a core competency in providing patient-centered care. Simulation provides an opportunity to expose students to diverse cultures. Case-based learning has been effective in improving nursing student communication and problem-solving skills, but no research describes its use in cultural education. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of simulation to case-based learning on nursing students’ perceived cultural competence, awareness, and sensitivity.Methods: Eighty baccalaureate nursing students were randomly assigned to a simulation experience or case-based learning exercise. The Cultural Competence Assessment Survey was used to measure perceived cultural competence, awareness, and sensitivity. Results: Both simulation and case-based learning improved nursing student perceived cultural awareness and sensitivity. Case-based learning improved perceived cultural competence.Conclusions: Integration of cultural learning opportunities into nursing education provides a foundation for continued development of cultural competence.

Simulation With Standardized Patients Designed as Interventions to Develop Nursing Students’ Cultural Competence: A Systematic Review

“…Of the more methodologically rigorous designs, four treatment control-designed studies showed no statistically significant changes regardless of the number of SPs and the duration of the simulation (Byrne, 2020;Chung & Jarvill, 2019;Garrido et al, 2014;Hamilton, 2016). The scores of the 10 studies, based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials and Quasi-Experimental Studies ranged from 44.4% (Harder, 2018) to 100% (Byrne, 2020).…”

“…Garrido et al (2014) reported on second-year graduate students. Participants in 3 studies received cultural education during regular course work prior to beginning simulation and the use of SPs (Byrne, 2020;Chung, & Jarvill, 2019;Hamilton, 2016). There was only one study that used SPs in a practicum course of patients' health care problems (Garrido et al, 2014).…”

“…Simulations with SPs as a learning intervention were often incorporated as part of the students' theoretical coursework. The intervention was typically combined with lectures about cultural diversity (Byrne, 2020;Chung & Jarvill, 2019;Hamilton, 2016;Harder, 2018). These included courses on general nursing (Chung & Jarvill, 2019), nursing leadership (Hamilton, 2016), medication administration (Harder, 2018), medical-surgical nursing (Grossman et al, 2012;Ozkara San, 2019), and nutrition (Byrne, 2020).…”

“…The intervention was typically combined with lectures about cultural diversity (Byrne, 2020;Chung & Jarvill, 2019;Hamilton, 2016;Harder, 2018). These included courses on general nursing (Chung & Jarvill, 2019), nursing leadership (Hamilton, 2016), medication administration (Harder, 2018), medical-surgical nursing (Grossman et al, 2012;Ozkara San, 2019), and nutrition (Byrne, 2020). Four studies reported the use of simulation in clinical practicum courses, such as a clinical seminar for health care problems (Garrido et al, 2014) or formally titled programs: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) practice program (Ndiwane et al, 2014;Ndiwane et al, 2017) and an Addiction Training for Nurses using Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment program (Fioravanti et al, 2018).…”

“…Ndiwane et al conducted the shortest duration: one day, twice; once (15 minutes each with 2 SPs) in 2014; and once (20 minutes with 1 SP) in 2017. Two sets of researchers did not describe the duration of their interventions (Chung & Jarvill, 2019;Fioravanti et al, 2018). They reported that nursing students had individual debriefing sessions postsimulation followed by a large group debriefing.…”