Date of Award

4-27-2021

Document Type

Restricted Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Nursing (MAN)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Joyce P. Miller DNP, RN

Second Advisor

Cheryl Leuning PhD., RN

Third Advisor

Mollie Nelson, PhD., RN

Abstract

Cultural factors influence how individuals and communities experience health and illness. Individuals identifying with a minority cultural group are more likely to experience health disparities than individuals identifying with a majority cultural group. Health care providers must deliver services that are culturally meaningful to individuals to improve health equity. Cross-cultural education in health profession curricula varies widely, is not standardized, and is often inadequate. A focus on cultural humility, which emphasizes the role of bias, lifelong learning, and structural and systemic issues, could improve providers’ cross-cultural care. Immersion programs offer opportunities for students to find a deeper understand of other cultures, but immersion experiences are often expensive and unrealistic. Concordia Language Villages offers language and cultural immersion camp experiences in the Midwest United States. A cross-cultural health internship program at Concordia Language Villages will provide a domestic experience for undergraduate health students to be immersed in a cross-cultural setting, learn about cross-cultural health concepts, and develop cultural humility. The internship program will be evaluated with a qualitative reflection tool to determine its success and effectiveness in improving cultural humility. The cross-cultural health internship will be implemented during the summer of 2021, and future plans include research to identify best practice strategies for improving cross-cultural health education. The project will advance transcultural nursing practice and foster greater cultural humility in the interns who are future health professionals.

Identifier

SC 11.MAN.2021.Hjerpe.A

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