Exploring Alumni Perspectives on how a Domestic Intercultural Immersion (DII) Clinical Influenced Cultural Competence and Current Nursing Practice

Abstract

Partners in Health and Safety, also known as Rural Farms, is a domestic intercultural immersion (DII) embedded in a Senior level community health/leadership nursing clinical course that began in 2011. The experience aims to provide health and safety education and health screening to mostly Latinx dairy workers in west central Wisconsin in addition to preparing nursing students for practice and enhancing their cultural competence. This study retrospectively explores the impact of this experience on perceived cultural competence and its translation to practice following graduation among Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program alumni. Qualitative data were collected via Qualtrics survey from BSN alumni who completed the Rural Farms DII between Summer 2011 and Spring of 2018 and analyzed for themes using NVIVO and Atlas.ti. Preliminary findings indicate that perceived cultural competence among alumni increased due to the experience, showing that individuals gained firsthand insight into agricultural health and safety practices, learned how to recognize disparities and barriers in this field, and learned to understand the unique challenges faced by agricultural workers and families. In addition, results indicate participants gained an increased understanding of Latinx culture, values, and health needs from the clinical, which they have taken into practice with them.