“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are”
-Anais Nin
This course provides a facilitated forum for students to critically reflect on their socially constructed identities and the impact these identities have on health care systems. Students meet in a safe and respectful environment to discuss and develop strategies for building awareness, skills, and knowledge needed for self-exploration of beliefs and attitudes regarding racial, ethnic, and cultural aspects of identity. Concrete strategies for integrating cultural assessment into health care will be included. Readings, videos, reflective writing and group work provide the vehicle to explore the impact of race, class, gender, age, ability, sexuality and other defining aspects of our identities and how these interact in health care settings. In other words, we engage the “textbooks of our personal lives” as the basis for understanding.
Course Objectives:
- Identify their socially constructed identities and how those identities affect their interactions and relationships with patients;
- Describe and discuss concepts relevant to providing culturally competent and congruent care including health beliefs, social justice, power and privilege, cultural sensitivity, respect, safety, racism and discrimination, cultural conflict, health literacy, worldview, holding knowledge, subculture and vulnerable populations;
- Describe and critique the major constructs of nursing practice models/theories relative to culturally congruent care;
- Apply constructs of culturally congruent care to clinical practice
This course incorporates elements of the Seeking Equity and Educational Diversity (SEED) program offered through the UW-Madison Office for Equity and Diversity (OED) and the SEED Learning Community of UW-Madison. SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) is a national project on social justice pedagogy and cultural change begun and coordinated by Peggy McIntosh (Wellesley College), Emily Styles (Wellesley College) and Brenda Flys-With-Hawks (Santa Rosa College).