Cultural Competence Process of Caregiver’s undergoing a Cultural Immersion Experience in Ghana

Jennifer L Morton RN, MS/MPH

Achieving cultural competence in health professions is not a new phenomenon.   Academia has strived in to provide students in health programs with the necessary education to not only understand the meaning of culture but to also apply that culture to health related experiences that they may encounter.  This study utilizes Dr. Josephina Campinha-Bacote’s model, “The Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services” and the 5 constructs within as a guiding framework            Within this one-group pre and post test design, 17 subjects were recruited from the March ’05 Ghana Health Mission group of caregivers.  The instrument, the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals-Revised (IAPCC-R) was administered as a pretest and two post tests. This self administered  tool measures 25 items in 4 point Likert format within the 5 constructs of Campinha-Bacote’s model that include; desire, awareness, knowledge, skill, and encounters. Following IRB approval and the informed consent process, pre-tests were administered prior to the immersion experience.  The first post-test was administered immediately after the immersion experience and the second post-test occurred 3 months later.             Comparisons occurred with this single group over three separate points in time. ANOVA revealed statistically significant results that cultural competence of caregiver’s improved over time following and immersion experience.  This data could serve as an impetus in support of immersion for building cultural competence among caregivers.

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