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Saturday, 29 October 2011: 3:35 PM
Learning Objective 1: Discuss The Culturally Competent Model of Care put forth by Campinha-Bacote (2007) and two instruments to measure cultural competence.
Learning Objective 2: Discuss perceptions of the Mexican culture among undergraduate and graduate students taking study abroad courses in Mexico.
Preparing nursing students to provide culturally competent care to meet the needs of diverse cultures in the U.S. is an ongoing challenge for nursing faculty. The purpose of this mixed method study was to measure cultural competence and elicit perceptions of Mexican culture among undergraduate and graduate nursing students enrolled in two study abroad courses in Mexico. The Culturally Competent Model of Care (Campinha-Bacote, 2007) provided the framework for the study. Two groups of undergraduate (n=13) and two groups of graduate (n=17) nursing students participated in the study. Before and after the courses, undergraduate students were administered the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Health Care Professionals-Student Version (IAPCC-SV) and graduate students were administered the (IAPCC-R) for health care providers. The instruments measure four categories of cultural competence (proficient, competent, aware, and incompetent). A paired t-test was used to determine statistical significance in the pre and post tests in each group. The results in part showed an increase in all group mean scores on the post tests with a statistical difference (p= .021) in one undergraduate group and (p=.024) in one graduate group. The level of cultural competence of undergraduate groups (competent) was higher than the graduates (aware). An open-ended questionnaire was used to elicit perceptions of Mexican culture. Four major themes emerged caring, family, environment, and food and sub themes emerged. The cultural immersion experiences in these study abroad courses influenced nursing students’ understanding of the Mexican culture and enhanced their cultural competence, which in turn can influence their practice among Mexican and other Spanish speaking clients in the United States.
Campinha-Bacote, J. (2007). The process of cultural competence in the delivery of healthcare services: The journey continues (5th Edition). Cincinnati, OH: Transcultural C.A.R.E. Associates.