Measuring cultural competence in a family nurse practitioner curriculum

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, implementation and evaluation a new family nurse practitioner curriculum (FNPC) designed specifically to educate students to be clinically and culturally competent. Strategies to improve the delivery of cultural content and measurement process are also discussed. METHODS: The first cohort of students was evaluated using multiple formative and summative clinical, survey, and qualitative measures. Students' cultural skills and attitudes were tested before, during and post completion of the program. RESULTS: Student field work projects to address health promotion needs of vulnerable groups such as migrant farm workers and other clinical "hands on" experiences emerged as the most salient cultural learning activities. CONCLUSIONS: Immersion of FNP students in practice settings with high concentrations of patients from diverse groups is the best educational strategy to foster positive attitudinal change, cultural self-efficacy, and clinically competent primary care in underserved and vulnerable populations.