Overview of teaching strategies for cultural competence in nursing students.

Multiple curricular approaches are being used to teach cultural competency to nursing students in the United States in accordance with accrediting board standards. As nurse educators are searching for evidence based teaching practices, this article reviews the most commonly current teaching methods being used. Although a variety of methods are being implemented, little empirical evidence exists to suggest any one methodology for teaching cultural competency for nursing students produces significantly better outcomes. The use of clinical experiences, standardized patients and immersion experiences have produced the most favorable results which increase student awareness, knowledge and confidence in working with ethnically diverse patients.