RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Nursing curriculum must include unique ways to enhance students' cultural sensitivity to ensure the provision of culturally competent care to our diverse populations. Academic community engagement (ACE) is a pedagogy used to teach course concepts through service. METHODOLOGY: This was a qualitative study analyzing nursing students' written reflective journals following their service at a Native American powwow using Lincoln and Guba's model. The purpose was to examine if the ACE experience influenced their development of cultural sensitivity. RESULTS: Reflective journals of 34 first-semester nursing students, enrolled in a nursing specific culture course, were analyzed. Three themes were identified: (a) engagement, (b) cultural sensitivity, and (c) humility and altruism. DISCUSSION: The development of self-awareness and the revelation by students of the importance of culturally sensitive care was a key finding supporting the use of ACE as a reliable teaching strategy in nursing education.
