Developing Cultural Awareness in Nursing Students Using a Multimodal Strategy: Results From a Mixed-Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Disparities
• Cultural Competence

Background:

• Cultural awareness is crucial for equitable patient care across diverse populations.
• Teaching cultural awareness presents significant challenges for nurse educators.
• Effective strategies are needed to integrate cultural competence into nursing curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a multimodal strategy on cultural awareness in prelicensure nursing students.
• To assess the effectiveness of curricular revisions in enhancing cultural competence.
• To identify key themes from student reflections on cultural awareness learning.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design was employed.
• Curricular revisions were implemented to introduce a multimodal strategy.
• The Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist was administered to 106 students.
• Reflective writing was analyzed to identify emergent themes.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvements were observed in all areas of the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist.
• Analysis of reflective writing yielded three major themes related to cultural awareness.
• The multimodal strategy demonstrated a positive impact on student cultural competence.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal strategies are effective in enhancing cultural awareness among nursing students.
• Nurse educators should prioritize the design and implementation of cultural awareness learning activities.
• Improving cultural competence in nursing education is essential for addressing health disparities.