Systematic methods to enhance diversity knowledge gained: a proposed path to professional richness

Faculty members in nursing schools have the responsibility to provide learning experiences for students that have the potential to solidly link indicators of professional richness, knowledge gained about diversity, enhanced critical thinking skills, ethical reasoning and decision-making. The challenge then is for faculty members to implement systematic methods to ensure that students are exposed to in- and out-of classroom experiences that result in measurable outcomes indicating a strong association between what a student is expected to learn and the diversity knowledge gained. The purpose of this study is to describe the effect of a target intervention derived from synthesizing multiple theories (social, cognitive, moral and ethical) and learning experiences on students' perception of global diversity. Two independent cohorts of senior nursing students, (control group, N = 65 and experimental group, N = 55) were taught a required undergraduate course: Societal Health Issues (SHI) with the same objectives over two consecutive years. Drastic and remarkable differences were demonstrated using separate multiple regression analyses of the experimental group (adjusted R2 change of 47% (F = 11.123, (df1 = 4; df2 = 47), p = .000) and control group (adjusted R2 change of 1% (F = 1.36, (df1 = 4; df2 = 52), p = .259). This study suggests preliminary empirical support for exploring how conceptual frameworks may guide faculty to consider pushing beyond traditional teaching methods to develop and organize systematic methods for infusing diversity content in courses.