Overcoming Cultural Barriers in Undergraduate Nursing Education Using Voice Enhanced High Fidelity Simulation: The Sultan Qaboos University Experience

Abstract

Cultural barriers can significantly diminish educator's chances of teaching clinical skills and competencies to students [1]. We report about Voice Enhanced High Fidelity Simulation (VES) using Gaumard's NOELLE® Advanced Maternal Care simulator to teach undergraduate male nursing students maternity nursing skills. This innovation was essential because as a minimum entry-topractice competency, baccalaureate nursing graduates are required to competently care for mothers and their families during labor and childbirth, and to provide safe and supportive environment, while being able to identify complications and respond to psychological needs [2][3]. In our study, we found that simulation helped students to fill the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Secondly, simulation helped the students to experience heightened awareness and deeper appreciation of the process of labour and childbirth. Thirdly, simulation enhanced student's communication ability with the mother. Furthermore, simulated experiences taught the students when to call for help. Finally, simulation enabled the students to better understand the role and tenets of interprofessional collaboration in the management of labour. We conclude that VES can be used to overcome barriers that hinder the teaching of male nursing student's attitudes, skills and competencies to provide safe care to childbearing mothers and their families, including the tenets of how to effectively collaborate with others during their care.

Perception of Male Nursing Students about Their Maternity Clinical Practice: A Cross-Sectional Survey from a Nursing College

“…In the present study, participants reported that they would prefer to provide maternity care alongside female health care providers. This could be attributed to the cultural system the participants are brought up in, which was strongly supported by the findings of Matua et al (2019), where in the cultural underpinnings in middle east countries, is a taboo for a man to look at the nakedness of a woman who is not their wife [9]. Such cultural perspectives deny male students the freedom to fully engage in maternity practice.…”

“…Indeed, male nurses face various gender stereotyping when pursuing nursing, predominantly while caring for women [20], while the female gender has been more accepted in the nursing/midwifery professions compared to the male [9].…”

“…This hinders their clinical practice experience and limits the acquisition of required skills, thereby creating a theory-practice gap. Indeed, it has been reported that such discrimination leads male nursing students to be less exposed to maternity settings compared with their female counterparts [9]. Zahid et al (2015), in their study to determine how male students experienced their clinical placements in obstetrics and gynecology wards, reported that male students were more rejected by patients compared with the female, by being refused to check or carry out physical examination for female patients.…”