Connecting and becoming culturally competent: a Lakota example

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Cultural Competence Studies
• Health Care Disparities

Background:

• Developing cultural competence is crucial for nurses, extending beyond mere understanding of sociocultural factors.
• Existing knowledge often focuses on the importance of cultural awareness rather than the practical development of competence.
• Nurses require actionable strategies to navigate diverse healthcare environments effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the process by which nurses develop cultural competence during intercultural immersion.
• To identify specific practices that facilitate intercultural connecting among non-native nurses in a new cultural context.
• To explore the relationship between shifts in value orientations and the development of cultural competence and co-responsibility.

Main Methods:

• Participatory research design was employed during intercultural immersion learning experiences.
• Focus on collaborative relationships within unfamiliar social, political, and economic contexts.
• Utilized Diekelmann's "concernful practices" as a framework for analysis.

Main Results:

• Participants explicated specific practices that enhanced their intercultural connecting abilities.
• Immersion experiences prompted integral shifts in participants' value orientations.
• A correlation was observed between changes in cultural competence and value orientations.

Conclusions:

• Intercultural immersion and collaborative practices are key to developing nursing cultural competence.
• Shifts in value orientations are intrinsically linked to enhanced cultural competence.
• Findings support the development of co-responsibility between nurses and consumer groups for health advocacy.