Embedded Files
Strategies for Enhancing the Learning Experience for BIPOC Nursing Students
Strategies for Enhancing the Learning Experience for BIPOC Nursing Students
Culturally Responsive Teaching Techniques for Clinical Instructors
Create a Sense of Belonging
Convey Genuine Compassion:
Engage in meaningful introductions and allot time to learn the proper pronunciation and preferred nicknames of all students (Frazer et al., 2021).
Acknowledge the courage and dedication required to pursue a nursing degree with family commitments, language barriers and other constraints (Fuller & Mott-Smith, 2017).
Offer Recognition :
BIPOC students year to receive genuine recognition of knowledge base and academic ability instead of skin color (White, 2018)
Understand unconscious biases and focus solely on clinical abilities (Frazer et al., 2021).
Value Differing Perspectives:
Prior to group discussions, explicitly state that diverse viewpoints will be heard, respected, and celebrated (Frazer et al., 2021)
Inspiring students to speak up and express opinions and perspectives in a respectful way will teach them to be stronger advocates for their future patients (Day & Beard, 2019).
Provide a Safe Learning Environment:
Safe learning environment focused on growth and non-punitive in nature (Chicca & Shellenbarger, 2020)
Abolish hierarchies and participate in co-learning (Chicca & Shellenbarger, 2020)
Address racism against students and stand as an ally (Ackerman-Barger et al., 2020)
Teach with Equity
Appreciate Differing Learning Requirements
Embracing a culturally diverse pedagogical approach within the clinical teaching environment ensures equal learning opportunities for all students (Korhonen et al., 2019).
Teach using a variety of methods: visual, verbal etc. during group activities in order to ensure all student's needs are being met (Chicca & Shellenbarger, 2020).
Inquire of student's learning needs early on in the relationship. This can be done by having informal conversations with students or using an email survey before the clinical rotation begins.
Provide Additional Time and Support
Students may require additional time to connect theory to practice and to apply critical thinking skills directly to patient care (Hari et al., 2021).
If a student requires additional time to connect-the-dots but can do so with guidance in a safe manner, they should be coached and encouraged and not reprimanded (Chicca & Shellenbarger, 2020).
It is imperative for the instructor to understand the difference between a teachable moment and unsafe practice.
Deliver Meaningful Feedback
Instructors should reflect on their unconscious biases and ensure there is no compromise to the feedback provided to BIPOC students (Qureshi, 2017).
BIPOC students are more likely to become discouraged and experience a negative emotional response to constructive feedback (Ryan & Henderson, 2017).
It is essential to create a safe environment with open dialogue, student reflection, and compassion within the feedback conversation.
Understand Cross-Cultural Communication
Communication challenges can also impact the student’s learning experience with their nursing instructor and even patient safety (Korhonen et al., 2019).
Black students often feel scrutinized and uncomfortable within the clinical learning environment (White, 2018). It is imperative that instructors commit time to communicate expectations and explain the purpose of observation within the clinical learning environment (White, 2018).
It is essential to convey clear communication of clinical expectations in more than one modality; a written and verbal format could improve understanding for BIPOC students (Lin et al., 2021).
Conversations with BIPOC students should be void of colloquial speech and euphemisms, as they are not necessary and may further confuse the instructions (Abu-Arab & Parry, 2015).
Institutional Strategies to Enhance the Clinical Learning Experience
Professional Development Opportunities
Mandatory Diversity Training
Training sessions could include cross-cultural communication techniques; open discussions regarding racism within healthcare; and additional resources to utilize for culturally diverse students who are facing difficulties in the clinical environment (Abu-Arab & Parry, 2015; O’Reilly & Milner, 2015).
Training sessions should include tangible evidence-based strategies for inclusive teaching that instructors can easily incorporate into their daily routines.
Annual Instructor Evaluation
The annual faculty assessment should include a section for instructors to provide evidence of anti-racism teaching techniques used in the clinical setting to retain BIPOC students (Green, 2020).
Peer and student reviews should also be included as they provide an outsider perspective of the teaching techniques and learning environment; positive comments further motivate instructors and constructive feedback provide specific areas of improvement (Hagqvist et al., 2020).
Financial, Family, and Linguistic Supports
Financial Supports
It would be beneficial to have an agreement with the local healthcare centers to provide students with subsidized hospital parking and summer employment opportunities (Hari et al., 2021).
Family Supports
Providing the option for students to attend weekend classes or clinical learning experiences could offer flexibility to students with jobs and family commitments (James, 2018).
Subsidized childcare which is available for early morning clinical shifts (James, 2018).
Linguistic Support
Specific reading and writing support geared towards BIPOC nursing students in a clinical environment (James, 2018).
Supplementary workshops for BIPOC students to practice nurse-patient interactions (simulation), therapeutic communication, and interprofessional collaboration (Abu-Arab & Parry, 2015; O'Reilly & Milner, 2015).
Recruitment and Retainment of Culturally Diverse Instructors
Retention of BIPOC students goes beyond providing anti-racism training to white faculty; it is imperative to increase diversity of nursing instructors (Salvucci & Lawless, 2016)
White faculty members will never be able to comprehend the hardships endured by culturally diverse students (White et al., 2020).
To effectively address the numerous disparities within healthcare it is imperative to include culturally diverse nursing instructors to serve as role models and mentors to students and to conduct research within the profession (Lin, 2018).
Mentorship Initiatives
Informal Mentorship
Informal mentorship could be provided within group settings or on an individual basis. It would be beneficial to pair first-year students with fourth-year students who have valuable insight regarding the expectations of the program (Metzger et al., 2019).
Formal Mentorship
Mentorship programs should include BIPOC mentors from various areas of the nursing profession (Noone et al., 2020) such as acute care, public health, and academia.
Mentors should have formal training prior to and during the mentorship relationship (Noone et al., 2020).
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse