2024 Student Research Conference:
37th Annual Student Research Conference

The Influence of Cultural Lived Experiences on Nursing Students’ Development of Cultural Competence


Audrey E. Allen*, Hannah R. Thacker, and Quentin A. Perry
Prof. Rafael Tubongbanua, Prof. Sheena Nichols, and Dr. Nola Martz (Park University), Faculty Mentors

As patient populations seeking healthcare services in the United States become more diverse, the need for culturally competent care increases. Nursing students' development of cultural competence is a crucial preparation for future practice. Most instructional methods in nursing education include textbook readings and lecture-based presentations. However, traditional teaching methods alone may fall short in building students’ cultural competence. Using lived experiences (shared stories) by people of diverse backgrounds is one innovative way to teach cultural competence. In a Rural Public Health Nursing class, culturally diverse guest speakers’ shared experiences supplemented senior nursing students' learning. Students' reflective essays were then analyzed with Colaizzi’s method to determine how learning was impacted. Three themes emerged: exposure to unique lived experiences, achieving culturally competent care, and barriers to culturally competent care. This study’s findings support sharing lived experiences from different cultural backgrounds as an instructional method for teaching cultural competence in nursing education.

Keywords: culture, lived experience, cultural competence

Topic(s):Nursing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: 103-2
Location: SUB Georgian Room B
Time: 9:30

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