Page 190 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 190
bara Donik, Mateja Lorber, and Majda Pajnkihar
is crucial component in ensuring quality healthcare and has a large impact
on the elimination of disparities arising from the perspectives of cultural di-
versity (Seal & Wiske, 2018). In order to develop cultural competencies it is
necessary to incorporate the contents of cultural diversity into nursing edu-
cation (Prosen, 2015; Prosen, Karnjuš, & Ličen, 2017).
Nurses are aware that they have to consider the patients’ differences in
age, gender, disability, ethnicity, beliefs, and desires for care, norms, and
perspectives. Cultural awareness reflects the respect for cultural needs and
beliefs (Conway-Klaassen & Maness, 2017). This is the ability to understand
that the cultural background of an individual affects behaviour and interper-
sonal relationships (Rew et al., 2003; Giger & Davidhizar, 2007). The response
made by individuals and the ability to critically examine personal bias to-
wards other cultures, lifestyles and beliefs (McElroy, Smith-Miller, Madigan,
& Li, 2016) is therefore the basis for developing explicit views by nurses and
their behaviour towards patients from diverse cultural backgrounds (Steed,
2015; Hall, Lee, Clark, & Perilla, 2016). This reflects an affective dimension of
knowledge and adaptation by nurses of awareness of themselves and others
(Chen & Young, 2012).
Strategies for Strengthening Cultural Awareness of Nursing Students
A critical component of nursing education, practice and research is therefore
an integration of multidimensional domains of cultural awareness in nursing
curricula (Rew et al., 2003). The challenge, in preparing nursing students to
acquire cultural knowledge, is to evaluate whether nursing students are cul-
turally aware, sensitive and competent.
To increase cultural awareness and improve the cultural competence of
nursing students, the educational programs must include different learning
activities based on patients’ social and physical environments as the socioe-
conomic and political realities that are affecting the patients’ varies, as does
their access to healthcare (US Department of Health and Human Services,
n. d.; Institute of Medicine, 2002; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
2012; Lonneman, 2015). Students brings their own values, beliefs and behav-
ior pattern in the educational setting. These values influence students’ think-
ing, decisions and actions (Jeffreys, 2016). To improve the self-awareness of
nursing students of their own culture, including biases and prejudices, are
also critical aspects in the educational process (Institute of Medicine, 2002;
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2012). From this perspective,
meeting the needs of students who are culturally diverse is a growing chal-
lenge in nursing education (Jeffreys, 2016).
188
is crucial component in ensuring quality healthcare and has a large impact
on the elimination of disparities arising from the perspectives of cultural di-
versity (Seal & Wiske, 2018). In order to develop cultural competencies it is
necessary to incorporate the contents of cultural diversity into nursing edu-
cation (Prosen, 2015; Prosen, Karnjuš, & Ličen, 2017).
Nurses are aware that they have to consider the patients’ differences in
age, gender, disability, ethnicity, beliefs, and desires for care, norms, and
perspectives. Cultural awareness reflects the respect for cultural needs and
beliefs (Conway-Klaassen & Maness, 2017). This is the ability to understand
that the cultural background of an individual affects behaviour and interper-
sonal relationships (Rew et al., 2003; Giger & Davidhizar, 2007). The response
made by individuals and the ability to critically examine personal bias to-
wards other cultures, lifestyles and beliefs (McElroy, Smith-Miller, Madigan,
& Li, 2016) is therefore the basis for developing explicit views by nurses and
their behaviour towards patients from diverse cultural backgrounds (Steed,
2015; Hall, Lee, Clark, & Perilla, 2016). This reflects an affective dimension of
knowledge and adaptation by nurses of awareness of themselves and others
(Chen & Young, 2012).
Strategies for Strengthening Cultural Awareness of Nursing Students
A critical component of nursing education, practice and research is therefore
an integration of multidimensional domains of cultural awareness in nursing
curricula (Rew et al., 2003). The challenge, in preparing nursing students to
acquire cultural knowledge, is to evaluate whether nursing students are cul-
turally aware, sensitive and competent.
To increase cultural awareness and improve the cultural competence of
nursing students, the educational programs must include different learning
activities based on patients’ social and physical environments as the socioe-
conomic and political realities that are affecting the patients’ varies, as does
their access to healthcare (US Department of Health and Human Services,
n. d.; Institute of Medicine, 2002; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
2012; Lonneman, 2015). Students brings their own values, beliefs and behav-
ior pattern in the educational setting. These values influence students’ think-
ing, decisions and actions (Jeffreys, 2016). To improve the self-awareness of
nursing students of their own culture, including biases and prejudices, are
also critical aspects in the educational process (Institute of Medicine, 2002;
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2012). From this perspective,
meeting the needs of students who are culturally diverse is a growing chal-
lenge in nursing education (Jeffreys, 2016).
188
