Implementing the multicultural education perspective into the nursing education curriculum

Journal of Instructional Psychology, Dec, 2003 by Hazel L. White

4. To help all students learn to consider the perspectives of other groups. (pp. 2-6)

Justification

Excluding the descendents of the native-born American Indians, Eskimos, and Hawaiians, every American is a descendent of immigrants. Obviously, it would be a misconception to hypothesize that all Americans are molded to the same pattern. The American population represents a wide range of ethnic and racial groups, backgrounds, experiences, customs, and ideologies. It would seem obvious that faculty can no longer teach all students in the classroom as if they have the same needs, values and aspirations. Students have different needs and skills that must be recognized in developing educational and health care programs. These programs must reflect their differences in physical and mental abilities, age, sex, socioeconomic status, religion, language, beliefs, and ethnicity or national origins.

Also, with the advancement in transportation technology, distances between far points in the world seem closer. Vastly different cultural groups are no longer separated by oceans or mountains. As a result, there are large numbers of visitors from other countries using our country's various public and private facilities. As the nurse works in the main areas of health care, the nurse can expect to have clients from many cultures. Therefore, the nurses must become actively involved in bridging cultural gaps and increasing understanding among human beings (Hammer & Joseph, 19861).

Why Should Nurses Be Concerned About Diversity Within Their Client Population

As a member of a minority group, one is a victim to barriers of acceptance, to outright discrimination, to identification by stereotyping, and to being the victim of scapegoating (Garrison, Kingston, & Bernard, 1967). All of these factors are reflected in the person's concept of self. Consequently, the person who grows up under such conditions may be unalterably marked by such traits as lack of self-confidence, a lack of emotional security, and distrustfulness (Garrison, Kingston, & Bernard, 1967). Also, low self-esteem is indicated by conviction of inferiority, fear of social encounters, self-consciousness, sensitivity to criticism, lack of confidence, remaining in the shadows, and listening, not participating; whereas, high esteem is indicated by academic and social success, confidence and optimism. These attitudes will determine whether a group will seek health care and follow health care treatment plans. Nurses must understand how their behaviors and attitudes can affect their clients.

Researchers have found that bias possessed by teachers and children of middle and higher classes and the middle-class oriented curriculum offerings contribute to the maladjustment of children who come to school with a language, experiences, and backgrounds, that are not represented in the school's orientation of educational (Garrison et al, 1967). Consequently, these children do not find school relevant, do no like the school environment and the learning experience and eventually become dropouts. Those students who do not drop out of middle school and high school eventually come to college. They bring some of these maladjustments to the college setting.