Overcoming Marginalization by Creating a Sense of Belonging.

Marginalization encompasses structural, interpersonal, and intergroup dynamics that perpetuate inequality and exclusion. This manuscript advocates that the solution to marginalization lies in fostering a sense of belonging. Belonging is a fundamental human need, critical for mental well-being, academic success, and personal growth. It significantly impacts engagement, retention, and overall development, especially in health professional education settings like nursing schools. When individuals feel they belong, they are more likely to seek support, engage actively in learning, and perform better academically. However, achieving a sense of belonging is not straightforward, and many challenges at both individual and institutional levels hinder its realization. Individual challenges include resistance to change, implicit biases, and lack of awareness of the disparities caused by marginalization. Institutional challenges include insufficient commitment, inadequate resource allocation, and lack of representation from marginalized groups. In the United States, recent legislation obstructing initiatives toward diversity, equity, and inclusion poses additional obstacles. To overcome these challenges and promote belonging, this manuscript offers strategies that highlight the importance of aligning institutional values with policies and practices, recognizing and rewarding inclusive efforts, and actively seeking diverse perspectives.

Lost in translation: student perceptions of cultural competence in undergraduate and graduate nursing curricula.

The rapidly changing demographics of the United States require nurses who are equipped with knowledge and skills to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse patient population. Nurse educators seek to meet this challenge through integrating cultural competence into nursing course curricula. Few studies have examined student perceptions of the integration of this material. As part of a larger school-wide assessment, this qualitative descriptive study used focus groups of doctoral and bachelor of science in nursing students to evaluate their perceptions of the integration of cultural competence in the nursing curriculum. We sought to answer two questions: (a) what the students' perceptions were and (b) what recommendations they had for improvement. The results of the focus groups yielded three themes: (a) broadening definitions, (b) integrating cultural competence, and (c) missed opportunities. Student suggestions and recommendations for enhancing cultural competence in the curricula are provided.