The impact of cultural immersion service learning on BSN graduates: A quasi-experimental evaluation

The cultural immersion service-learning model evaluated in this study sought to facilitate cultural consciousness of culturally congruent nursing care among predominantly White nursing students attending a university that was racially and culturally homogeneous. Evidence supports the use of cultural immersion service learning during undergraduate nursing programs in developing the skills necessary for effective transcultural healthcare; yet, little is known about its impact beyond the semester of the experience. This project used a quasi-experimental design to determine if transcultural self-efficacy of BSN graduates among five campuses differed. One campus of the five conducted a mandatory cultural immersion service-learning experience during the graduates’ junior year. From a population of 94 BSN graduates of which 30 (32%) graduates participated in the cultural immersion service-learning experience, 53 completed the Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool. Eighteen (34%) of the graduates who participated in the cultural immersion service-learning experience participated in this study. The transcultural self-efficacy was significantly greater in those graduates who participated in the cultural immersion service-learning experience; yet, no difference was found among graduates of the four campuses not offering the experience. The cultural immersion service-learning experience seems to provide nursing students from racially and ethnically homogeneous communities with an experiential learning context which facilitates the development of transcultural self-efficacy. •A CISL experience improved BSN graduates’ transcultural self-efficacy scores.•Compared to graduates without the experience, the effect size was.83.•The CISL experience provided students with an experiential learning context.•CISL experience shaped learners’ self-efficacy in providing culturally congruent care.•Culturally congruent care matters because it improves health outcomes for diverse peoples.