Teaching cultural competence using an exemplar from literary journalism

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Transcultural Nursing
• Cultural Competence

Background:

• The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Fadiman was utilized as a literary case study.
• Campinha-Bacote's model of cultural competence provided a framework for organizing transcultural nursing concepts.
• Undergraduate nursing students were the target demographic for this educational intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a literary case study on undergraduate nursing students' transcultural nursing knowledge and cultural competence.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of using Fadiman's book and Campinha-Bacote's model in nursing education.
• To explore changes in students' cultural attitudes and awareness.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design was employed, using Fadiman's book as a central teaching tool.
• Students completed pre- and post-course assessments, including cultural attitude questionnaires and reflective papers on client adherence.
• Qualitative analysis of student papers focused on demonstrating cultural awareness and skill development.

Main Results:

• Quantitative scores on cultural attitude questionnaires remained largely unchanged post-intervention.
• Qualitative analysis of student papers revealed significant growth in cultural awareness and skill.
• The study highlighted a discrepancy between measured attitudes and demonstrated awareness.

Conclusions:

• Literature-based learning can foster cultural competence in nursing students, particularly in developing awareness and skills.
• Existing tools may not adequately capture changes in cultural competence, indicating a need for more sensitive assessment methods.
• Creative pedagogical approaches, such as using literary works, are valuable in transcultural nursing education.