Using a Cultural Immersion Service-Learning Experience to Facilitate Cultural Consciousness

• In Event: 69.029 - On Diversity and Culture

Abstract

Cultural Consciousness is an essential element in bridging an awareness gap inherent in cultural hegemony. For nurses to perform culturally conscious practice, nursing education must incorporate experiential opportunities for students to develop and incorporate cultural consciousness into their practice. The purpose of this study was to examine nursing students’ perceptions of cultural consciousness pertaining to American Indian culture developed during a one-week cultural immersion service learning (CISL) experience within an American Indian community. An intrinsic single case study design, bounded by the students’ perceptions of a cultural immersion service learning experience, was used to systematically collect and analyze data from two cohorts of nursing students. Qualitative evidence of cultural consciousness was demonstrated for a critical mass of the participants.

Authors

• Julie H Alexander-Ruff, Montana State University

• Art W. Bangert, Montana State University

• William G. Ruff, Montana State University