Abstract

Problem: Differences in cultural backgrounds, values, beliefs, and practices between healthcare providers and clients can create challenges and lead to disparities, and adverse events. Healthcare providers’ cultural humility and ethnocultural empathy promote services that meet patients’ social and cultural needs. However, it is unclear how to best promote the development of cultural humility and ethnocultural empathy amongst nursing students.

Theory: The transformative learning theory, developed by Jack Mezirow guided the study.

Hypothesis: Students who participate in a cultural immersion experience will report higher cultural humility and ethnocultural empathy compared to students who receive a lecture.

Design and Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design. A non-randomized, convenience sample of 47 students was utilized. The Ethnocultural Empathy Scale and the Cultural Humility Scale were used to assess nursing student’s cultural humility and ethnocultural empathy. Open-ended questions explored the meaningfulness of the experience.

Analysis: Data was analyzed with bivariate and multivariate analysis to compare pre and post-intervention data and differences between groups. A thematic analysis appraised open-ended question responses.

Results: Students who participated in a cultural immersion experience reported significantly higher cultural humility and ethnocultural empathy scores. Open-ended questions revealed that the cultural immersion experience was meaningful and aided in the development of cultural humility and ethnocultural empathy.

Conclusion: A cultural immersion experience was useful in promoting the development of cultural humility and ethnocultural empathy in nursing students.

Date of publication

Summer 8-16-2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/3759

Committee members

Dr. Beth Mastel-Smith, Dr. Christine S. Gipson , Dr. William Sorensen

Degree

Doctorate of Philosophy in Nursing

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