(45) Improving Cultural Awareness through Shadowboxing

Abstract : With melding of cultures and beliefs, nurses often encounter patients with unique value systems. While nurses self-report cultural awareness and interpersonal skills addressing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) (O'Brien, O’Donnell, Murphy, O’Brien & Markey, 2021), little is known about patients' perceptions of nurses' cultural awareness (Alharbi, Alhamlan & Aboshaiqah, 2021).
The purpose of this research was to: 1) Explore the lived experience of marginalized individuals in DEI encounters with nurses; 2) Use the reported lived experiences to create DEI Shadowboxing; and 3) Conduct a pilot study, exploring the impact of DEI Shadowboxing on cultural awareness survey (CAS) scores in pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students.
Based on the Cultural Humility Framework (Mosher et al, 2017), the phenomenological study used a hermeneutic approach with Van Manen's analysis of surveys from 67 marginalized individuals accessed through snowball sampling. DEI Shadowboxing was created and implemented using INACSL's Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice.TM A pre-test/post-test pilot study assessed for differences in individual and mean CAS scores in 29 junior-year pre-licensure nursing students.
Findings suggest behaviors interpreted as impatience, inequity and ignorance lead to distrust of nurses by marginalized individuals. Behaviors such as eye-rolling and failing to provide interpreters demonstrate a lack of DEI-related interpersonal skills and cultural awareness (Pinto, Macleod & Nhamo-Murire, 2023). These findings were used to create DEI Shadowboxing. Pre/Post-test comparison showed a significant increase in CAS scores after DEI Shadowboxing (t = 6.19, p < 0.001). Findings suggest the use DEI Shadowboxing may improve cultural awareness and DEI-related interpersonal skills.

Please include a short summary of your presentation that highlights why an attendee would want to participate in your session.: Participants will learn how marginalized individuals perceive the cultural awareness of nurses. These perceptions will be addressed through DEI Shadowboxing, a simulation-based experience, using videos and role-modeling to develop cultural awareness and DEI-related skills. The participant will be actively engaged in DEI-Shadowboxing and will receive a link to a full DEI Shadowboxing activity, which they can use with nurses or nursing students.