Please help me with this much needed research study

[publichealth5]

hello nurses and nursing students,

my name is judi, and i am a public health researcher analyst & certified health education specialist (ches) who is conducting an applied research on the topic of cultural competence in nursing. while i understand, there is a 'cultural competence" aspect to most if not all nursing curricula, with the ever-changing demographics in the united states, cultural competence in health care has emerged to the forefront. to this end, and more than ever, it is paramount that nurses and other health care professionals have a solid, in depth, and very integrated knowledge and understanding of ethnic and cultural differences and similarities of the diverse populations they serve. for educational institutions and for nurses especially-this can be of great benefit as employers are more than ever looking for flexible, knowledgeable and diverse nurses who will heighten their reputation in health care.

i am asking you to help me with this project-which will be online & not more than 45 minutes or so of your time. the idea is to implement a new course which would be a course that offers a higher level of cultural competence understanding in nursing; for nurses wishing to be more culturally competent and who are also interested in being more 'marketable' and meeting the demands of a competitive field and current economy. your consideration and move towards this direction for your career in nursing will definitely place you a step ahead of others in terms of personal knowledge and development, and employers rate this knowledge high on their attribute list for employees.

i am kindly asking your cooperation in completing the brief course (multiple choice) and the pre and posttest surveys (should not take longer than 45-60 minutes-or less). participants will be issued a starbucks or barnes & nobel $10-$15 gift card and a printed certificate as proof that you have completed this course. the surveys will be completely anonymous. there is also an informed consent statement at the beginning of the survey. this will be starting within the next few months and i am looking for and hoping to have at least 40-60 students/nurses who will participate and complete a follow-up 6 months later to see how you are doing and how the course have impacted your careers. if you are interested kindly e-mail me at [email protected]--thank you so much for your assistance and i look forward to hearing from you. thanks and best regards (please let me know if you have further questions).

additional background information

have you ever been in a situation where you were unsure about the best way to approach a patient or ask a question because of racial or ethnic concerns? or was there ever a time you were unable to effectively communicate with a patient because of a language barrier? imagine being a patient unable to gain access to proper care because the provider lacks the proper cultural and linguistic competence skills. it is clear that culture does matter in health care settings. cultural factors are crucial to diagnosis, treatment, and care, and they shape health-related beliefs, behaviors, and values (campinha-bacote, 2006; kleinman, 1981, 2004). training nurses to care for diverse populations is essential. with the ever-changing demographics in the united states, cultural competence in health care settings has emerged to the forefront. it is paramount that nurses and other health care professionals understand ethnic and cultural differences and similarities of the diverse populations they serve (hoffman, 2008).

research problem statement

will an online cultural competence awareness and intervention course for nursing students at a college in the state of new jersey, have an effect on nurses' skills, perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, biases, and behaviors, and ultimately the provision of culturally competent care to diverse populations?

sub problem statements

sub problem 1: do nursing students maintain knowledge in cultural competence six months after course completion?

sub problem 2: what is the level of students' knowledge of cultural competence prior to participation in a cultural competence awareness course?

sub problem 3: after completing a cultural competence course, what aspect(s) of the course do nursing students report as being more important?

i am in nj so i thought i would post to the board for nj nursing students/nurses--however, as it is an online course anyone being interested within the field is fine. please note this research encourages nurses from all race and ethnic backgrounds, males and females, young and old--the idea is to get as inclusive and representative a group as possible. thanks again.