A Spanish Immersion Course With Simulations for Empowering Nursing Students to Develop Culturally Competent Care

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Equity
• Cross-cultural Communication

Background:

• Effective communication and cultural competency are crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing health disparities.
• Limited opportunities exist for nursing students to practice patient care in languages other than English during their education.
• Addressing language barriers is essential for providing equitable and culturally competent healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance Spanish-language proficiency among undergraduate nursing students.
• To improve cultural competency for caring for Spanish-speaking patient populations.
• To equip future nurses with skills to promote health equity and overcome language barriers in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an undergraduate elective nursing course.
• Integration of scaffolding simulations and cultural competency concepts.
• Utilization of technology-based Spanish-language learning tools.

Main Results:

• The course design aims to improve students' Spanish-language proficiency.
• The curriculum is intended to enhance students' cultural competency in caring for Spanish-speaking patients.
• The innovative approach seeks to strengthen students' ability to promote health equity.

Conclusions:

• The developed course offers an innovative strategy to address language barriers in nursing care.
• Enhancing language skills and cultural competency can improve the quality of care for diverse patient populations.
• This educational model supports the development of a culturally competent nursing workforce prepared to reduce health disparities.