Educator’s Guide for Addressing Cultural Awareness, Humility, and Dexterity in Occupational Therapy Curricula

Abstract

Occupational therapists are ethically bound to provide quality care to assist all people across the life course to engage in meaningful occupations. This sense of purpose, however, is challenged by institutional, systemic, and attitudinal barriers to equitable care for racial and ethnic minorities and other marginalized identities. Future practitioners must learn how to provide culturally appropriate care characterized by awareness, humility, and dexterity in client interactions. This guide offers information, strategies, and resources for enhancing learner knowledge, skills, and attitudes through intentional and effective curriculum design practices. It is intended to assist educators with integrating cultural awareness, humility, and dexterity into intended learning outcomes; course topics; formal, informal, and hidden curricula; teaching approaches; and instructional strategies.

Student Perception of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Curricular Threads on Nursing Practice

“…11 • Engaging in self-reflection and demonstrating cultural humility should lead to providing care that is more inclusive and sensitive to power differences between professionals and clients. 5 • Integrating social identity content into curricula results in self-awareness, a sense of belonging in their social world, and engaging in partnerships for improved health. 12 • Although LGBTQ+ competence training has been declared a necessity by several accrediting bodies, institutions, and governmental agencies, this content is often missing from or limited in curricula.…”

“…Students identified the relevance of the nurse's role in assessing and addressing SDOH and access to preventive health services (9), social support (7), and health literacy (8) as extremely relevant and incarceration history (5) as somewhat relevant. Similarly, students agreed that the nurse's role in assessing and addressing cultural SDOH as extremely relevant included cultural customs and beliefs (6), military status (5), and identities of gender (7). Religion, racism, and microaggressions, as well as ethnicity, were considered somewhat relevant (6).…”

“…The following principles were derived from the review and provided the evidence base for this pilot project: SDOH concepts integrated throughout the curricula promote awareness of special health care needs, advocacy, and health equity 11 Engaging in self-reflection and demonstrating cultural humility should lead to providing care that is more inclusive and sensitive to power differences between professionals and clients 5 Integrating social identity content into curricula results in self-awareness, a sense of belonging in their social world, and engaging in partnerships for improved health 12…”

“…Educational efforts are needed to help students identify unconscious biases and stereotypes that may lead to the provision of inequitable care. 5 The RN to BSN program leadership and faculty at a public university decided to undertake a pilot project that assessed if RN to BSN students believed that DEI-SDOH didactic content translated into or influenced their nursing practice. These curricular tenets incorporated self-awareness and awareness of differing perceptions, identifying, and preventing human rights abuse, addressing issues of power differentials, and valuing others through self-reflection.…”

“…Nursing education programs have a mandate to prepare future practitioners, educators, and scientists to be equipped to be patient allies and provide care that is equitable, culturally responsive, and holistic. Educational efforts are needed to help students identify unconscious biases and stereotypes that may lead to the provision of inequitable care 5…”