Concepts of culture, diversity and cultural care among undergraduate nursing students : a nursing education perspective

Abstract

Culture, diversity and cultural care have become important concepts for nurses professionals. However, little is known about how nursing students come to understand these complex concepts. The purpose of this study was to explore what nursing students learn and understand about diversity, culture and cultural encounters from a nursing education perspective. A qualitative approach utilizing the focused ethnography method guided this research study. The study population was first and fourth year undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a Western Canadian university. Findings revealed that the majority of first and fourth year students supported expanded essentialist views of culture. Although students demonstrated increased knowledge of nursing practice, the overall understanding of culture care changed very little between first and fourth year students. This study may be an important step to help nurses improve their understanding of culture, diversity and cultural care. Recommendations are provided for students, educators, program leaders and researchers.