Exploring Cultural Competency: Jan's Experience at the AACN Conference

Cultural Competency in Nursing Education

Jan’s poster session, titled “Implementing the Purnell Theory and Model for Culturally Competent Healthcare: A Progressive Framework in Online Global Nursing Education,” underscored the necessity of cultural competence in nursing, especially as healthcare becomes more globally interconnected. Nurses International is leading this charge, ensuring that their curriculum equips nurses worldwide to provide culturally sensitive and equitable care.

Key Elements of the Curriculum

The NI curriculum begins by integrating Purnell’s Model (1) in the Fundamentals Course. This foundational step involves cultural self-assessment and an introduction to Purnell’s twelve domains. As students progress, they delve deeper into cultural scenarios and interactive case studies that reinforce and expand their understanding of the material.

• Rationale: The global student body necessitates a curriculum that promotes culturally sensitive care, leveraging the success of Purnell’s Model internationally.
• Methods: The curriculum uses content levelling, adherence to Tanner’s Model (2) and Bloom’s Taxonomy, and unfolding case studies to enhance learning.
• Results: Successful integration into completed courses and ongoing development of a repository of resources for students and faculty highlight the program’s impact.