Culture and diversity in the nursing classroom: an impact on communication and learning

This article discusses culture and diversity in the nursing classroom and its impact on communication and learning. Today's nursing classrooms are heavily populated with students from many ethnic, psychological and sociocultural backgrounds. It is necessary that nurse educators recognize that many communication patterns value diversity, and is a major support in many learning styles of their students. Without a thorough understanding of diversity and communication among cultures, major challenges exist for both professors and students. The nursing curriculum and classroom materials should portray diversity so that all subject matter reflects a range of cultural perspectives. Higher education curricula are probably the most diverse in the world, and with a global perspective, and the United States being a "melting pot," these curricula will become even more diverse in the future. Nursing education has the responsibility to teach students how to communicate on a global scale. These global models of communication will assist students to successfully enter professional nursing practice with strong communication skills and a level of cultural competence that professional nurses need to know.