title: The value of community-focused interprofessional care in peru for developing cultural competency in health professions students.
abstract: International immersion experiences for health-care students have increased over the past 10 years. Students and faculty expect these experiences to increase cultural competency; however, research on outcomes of these programs has lacked rigor. Over a 4-year period, groups of nursing and other health professions students spent 3 weeks in Peru providing primary care and health education. Students attended pre-departure seminars addressing personal travel health and safety, culture and health care in Peru, working with interpreters, and ethics of international health care. Student participants (N=77) completed an instrument assessing self-perceived cultural competency before and after the experience. Results of pre- and post-immersion scores showed significant increases in perceived cultural competency and increased self-efficacy in cultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes for four groups of students. Implications and future directions are discussed and recommended.
authors.affiliation: Washington State University, College of Nursing, POB 1495 Spokane, Washington 99210, USA. carola@wsu.edu
authors.forename: Carol B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Denise A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Smart
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Odom-Maryon
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Swain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000193:education; D054521:Cultural Competency; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003479:Curriculum; D003906:Developing Countries; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru; D011361:Professional Competence; D013338:Students, Nursing; D055815:Young Adult