MEL CHEVANNES CBE FRCN PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF NURSING SCHOOL OF HEALTH UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON

1. MAINSTREAMING CULTURAL COMPETENCIES AND EQUALITY TRAINING IN THE NURSE CURRICULUM : FINDINGS FROM AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT MEL CHEVANNES CBE FRCN PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF NURSING SCHOOL OF HEALTH UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON

2. RESEARCH TEAM • DR PATRICIA BOND, READER IN PRIMARY CARE – LEAD • RESEARCHER • SALLY ADAMS, RESEARCH ASSISTANT and latterly • ABBY CORMACK • PROFESSOR MEL CHEVANNES – PROJECT DIRECTOR

3. HEADINGS OF MAIN FINDINGS • Students’ views by students • Lecturers’ commitment to teaching cultural • competencies and equality • Lecturers’ self efficacy • Curriculum management of teaching cultural • competencies and equality

4. SELECTED MAIN FINDINGS LECTURERS’ SELF EFFICACY • Cultural competencies and equality training is of importance in the curriculum – for students to acquire cultural knowledge to provide health care to all patients and users. • High regard for training to challenge oppression and discrimination • Ill prepared to teach multicultural and anti-racist education – an insecurity and a lack of self confidence • Strong self belief to engage positively in culturally sensitive teaching • Effectiveness of teaching to promote equality of opportunity, especially in the sphere of practice

5. CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT OF TEACHING CULTURAL COMPETENCIES AND EQAULITY • Teaching cultural competencies and equality are managed as integrated themes in other subjects • Cross-curriculum model • Culturally-sensitive teaching material are developed and others screened for negative cultural, racial, age and gender stereotypical inclusion • 52 randomly selected module guides confirmed prominence of equality issues in the context of problem-based or situated learning • Lecturers’ attributes critical to curriculum planning and innovation – commitment, ownership, reflection, action

6. BARRIERS TO TEACH CULTURAL COMPETENCIES AND EQUALITY • Lack of time in an already “packed curriculum” • Difficult to allocate time to search out new and • innovative ways to teach “such a sensitive subject” • Lack of information and knowledge of some • cultures and religions • Lack of confidence • Large group for teaching • Staff attitudes “some staff think it is not • important”

7. CONCLUSION • Considerable agreement among lecturers and students about • the value and purpose of cultural competencies and equality • training • This finding should be seen as a great resource by education • managers • Metric School of Health and others are likely to benefit from • the self- efficacy tool developed during this action research