An Educational Intervention to Increase Cultural Competence of Nursing and Social Work Students in Jordan: The Bedouin Health Module

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This paper presents the Bedouin Health Module, an educational intervention designed by an EC-funded collaborative research project on improving access to Bedouin health care in the NorthEastern Desert (Badia) of Jordan. This intervention aims to increase the cultural competences of nursing and social work students as well as building their interdisciplinary team skills and included a theoretical as well as a practical component for students in both disciplines. The findings of the research study showed a lack in cultural competence among service providers concerning Bedouin lifestyle and culture which contributed to poor communication between providers and Bedouin recipients of health care.

The Bedouin Health Module was designed, and taught by members of the research team that includes a Bedouin residing in the Northeastern Badia in Jordan two Assistant Professors of Nursing and Social Work respectively. The module contents were incorporated into the community health and community based social work curricula of fourth year nursing students at Philadelphia University and social work students at Al Balqa. The module consisted of both class room teaching and joint field visits.

Pre- and post-tests were given to nursing and social work students to evaluate their knowledge and attitudes before the Module, and focus group discussions were held with nursing and social work students as well as the faculty who supervised the training .

The paper highlights the importance of an evidence-based inter-professional educational reform in the curricula of nursing, social work and medical students to develop cultural competencies for health and social care providers relevant to working with disadvantaged remote communities.

Stream: Curriculum and Pedagogy; Student Learning, Learner Experiences, Learner Diversity

Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

A graduate of the American University of Beirut in 1978 has more than 25 years of experience in nursing management and health education and services reform in several countries of the Middle East (Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Yemen Arab Republic and Jordan); in Canada she worked as a continuing professional education coordinator at the University of Toronto Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, a WHO collaborating agency and Centre of Excellence; has a Masters degree from Jordan University of Science and Technology with a specialization in Health Services Administration and a PhD from the University of London at the Health Promotion Research Unit in Public Health and Policy; currently team leader of a research project on Bedouin health in Jordan funded by EU in partnership with Warwick University, Oxford University, Stockholm University and the American University of Beirut.