Developing Cultural Sensitivity Through Study Abroad

Abstract

Study abroad experiences, as a strategy to develop cultural sensitivity, are increasingly popular in nursing education. At a college where resources for developing study abroad were limited, establishing a partnership with an organization experienced in sending medical teams abroad was a means by which a successful study abroad was integrated into a community health nursing course. This collaborative relationship provided the course faculty the opportunity to focus on development of the cultural learning, while the partnering organization coordinated trip logistics. Through the study abroad, the student goals were identified to be developing cultural sensitivity through immersion in two different cultural groups within the country. Additionally, the student’s goals were to be able to meet the community health course clinical objectives. Students’ written reflections included descriptions of how the trip was “life changing” and altered their view of the health care system, their understanding of the relationship between health and poverty, and their awareness of their own cultural behavior norms that reflect materialism and waste.