Report on the impact of cultural diversity in simulation for nursing students engaged in immersion experiences in global settings

Nursing students in the US are under increasing pressure to be equipped with appropriate knowledge and skills to meet an increasingly diverse American population. In order to meet this challenge, The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has charged nursing educators to incorporate cultural competence into nursing curriculums. Simulation scenarios focusing on assessment, including communication with clients from diverse cultures is a method to help students begin to practice safe nursing in a controlled environment. Nursing students in a baccalaureate program in the Midwest participated in scenarios designed to heighten their awareness of clues in the environment in order to interact with clients from different cultural backgrounds. The scenarios provided artifacts such as items of clothing, prayer rug, and statues that were consistent with specific cultures and helped direct the students to identify the need for an interpreter. Eighteen senior level students in the BSN program enrolled in an elective as part of an immersion experience in countries outside of the US. These students gained a better appreciation of the importance of obtaining culturally appropriate assessments in order to provide culturally competent care as evidenced by comments in their reflective journals.