Page 191 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 191
Strengthening Cultural Awareness of Nursing Students
Lonneman (2015) describe six teaching strategies for increasing cultural
awareness of nursing students: (1) strategies (games) for raising issues for
racism, classism and privilege, (2) reading assigning journal about personal
thoughts, feelings and actions, (3) preparing personal history reflection pa-
per and prepare the analysis of personal critical incidents, (4) using different
video materials about how racism, classism, and other social factors effects
on people’s health, (5) performing an interview with someone from vulnera-
ble population and preparing a written report, (6) discussions and purposeful
exploration of cultural and health disparities and environmental impacts on
health.
It is important to encourage critical thinking among nursing students
about, own values and beliefs and the influence of lack of understanding
of cultural differences on the patient’s outcomes. Studies has shown that
educational interventions (workshops, training, educational modules) in the
field of learning and acquiring nursing student’s cultural competences have
a major impact on student’s cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural
understanding and cultural skills (Brathwaite, 2005; Liu, Stone, & McMaster,
2018). Because nursing students have less clinical experience with patients
from diverse cultural backgrounds, Liu et al. (2018) find out that it is necessary
to include into nursing educational programs and curriculums different con-
tents that will have impact on cultural respect. Cultural respect is defined as
an essential attitude towards patients coming from a diverse cultural back-
ground (Cai, Kunaviktikul, Klunklin, Sripusanapan, & Avant, 2017). It is also im-
portant for students to increase the sense of comfort when they come into
interaction with culturally diverse patients, as well as to increase awareness
of equality treatment and respect for patient’s beliefs, values and behaviors
(Cai et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2018).
For increasing cultural awareness of nursing students, different methods
for teaching can be included into nursing curricula such as: traditional lecture
courses, case studies, role playing and using simulations (Grossman, Mager,
Opheim, & Torbjornsen, 2012; Long, 2012; Lonneman, 2015) and gaming (Ong-
Flaherty, Valencia-Garcia, & Martinez, 2017). During simulation course that
include cultural diversity content students can gain experiences in specific
cultural needs of patients based on protective characteristics (age, gender,
ethnicity, disability, . . .), they can improve communication skills and improve
ability in cultural assessment.
The purpose of our research was to measure cultural awareness of nursing
students. The aim was to find out the level of cultural awareness of University
of Maribor, Faculty of Health Studies (UM FHS) nursing students.
189
Lonneman (2015) describe six teaching strategies for increasing cultural
awareness of nursing students: (1) strategies (games) for raising issues for
racism, classism and privilege, (2) reading assigning journal about personal
thoughts, feelings and actions, (3) preparing personal history reflection pa-
per and prepare the analysis of personal critical incidents, (4) using different
video materials about how racism, classism, and other social factors effects
on people’s health, (5) performing an interview with someone from vulnera-
ble population and preparing a written report, (6) discussions and purposeful
exploration of cultural and health disparities and environmental impacts on
health.
It is important to encourage critical thinking among nursing students
about, own values and beliefs and the influence of lack of understanding
of cultural differences on the patient’s outcomes. Studies has shown that
educational interventions (workshops, training, educational modules) in the
field of learning and acquiring nursing student’s cultural competences have
a major impact on student’s cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural
understanding and cultural skills (Brathwaite, 2005; Liu, Stone, & McMaster,
2018). Because nursing students have less clinical experience with patients
from diverse cultural backgrounds, Liu et al. (2018) find out that it is necessary
to include into nursing educational programs and curriculums different con-
tents that will have impact on cultural respect. Cultural respect is defined as
an essential attitude towards patients coming from a diverse cultural back-
ground (Cai, Kunaviktikul, Klunklin, Sripusanapan, & Avant, 2017). It is also im-
portant for students to increase the sense of comfort when they come into
interaction with culturally diverse patients, as well as to increase awareness
of equality treatment and respect for patient’s beliefs, values and behaviors
(Cai et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2018).
For increasing cultural awareness of nursing students, different methods
for teaching can be included into nursing curricula such as: traditional lecture
courses, case studies, role playing and using simulations (Grossman, Mager,
Opheim, & Torbjornsen, 2012; Long, 2012; Lonneman, 2015) and gaming (Ong-
Flaherty, Valencia-Garcia, & Martinez, 2017). During simulation course that
include cultural diversity content students can gain experiences in specific
cultural needs of patients based on protective characteristics (age, gender,
ethnicity, disability, . . .), they can improve communication skills and improve
ability in cultural assessment.
The purpose of our research was to measure cultural awareness of nursing
students. The aim was to find out the level of cultural awareness of University
of Maribor, Faculty of Health Studies (UM FHS) nursing students.
189
