Teaching Cultural Competence in Nursing and Health Science Classrooms

Cultural competence is more than a buzzword, it’s a core skill for every healthcare professional. In a nursing or health science classroom, weaving cultural awareness into lessons from the start builds empathy, professionalism, and safe patient care habits.

But how do you teach something that feels abstract, especially to high school or first-year nursing students? Here’s how you can break it down into approachable, memorable lessons.

Why It Matters

Patients bring their whole selves to care - their languages, traditions, family dynamics, and beliefs. If healthcare workers don’t approach care with cultural competence, trust breaks down and outcomes suffer. In the classroom, ignoring culture also creates blind spots for students who will one day be caring for diverse populations. That’s why teaching cultural competence isn’t optional - it’s essential.

Strategy 1: Start with Self-Reflection

Before students can understand others, they need to explore their own assumptions. Have them write about or discuss:

• How do my family traditions shape my worldview?

• What health practices do I take for granted?

• What would I want a healthcare provider to know about me?

This opens the door for deeper empathy.

Strategy 2: Use Scenarios and Role-Play

Abstract concepts stick when applied to real-world scenarios. Create case studies where cultural considerations are central:

• A patient declines a certain treatment for religious reasons.

• A family prefers traditional remedies before Western medicine.

• A language barrier complicates consent forms.

Students can role-play both patient and provider to practice communication strategies.

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Strategy 3: Integrate with Core Skills

Don’t treat cultural competence as a “one-off” unit. Embed it into vital signs, infection control, and patient care lessons. For example:

• When practicing vital signs, discuss how different cultures view personal space.

• In infection control, talk about cultural norms around touch and handshakes.

• During patient communication role-plays, practice interpreters or simplified language.

This makes cultural awareness a thread running throughout the year.

Strategy 4: Bring in Voices from the Field

Guest speakers, whether live or via recorded interviews, help students see cultural competence in action. Ask nurses, CNAs, or techs to share real stories about how culture shaped care. If that’s not possible, short video clips from credible sources work too.

Strategy 5: Connect to Professional Standards

Tie everything back to professional guidelines. Cultural competence isn’t just “being nice,” it’s part of ethical, patient-centered care. Show how it links to NCLEX, NHA or CNA certification exams, or nursing program expectations.

Teaching cultural competence doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Start small—with reflection, scenarios, and integration into everyday lessons—and you’ll see your students developing the empathy and professionalism they’ll carry into their careers.

If you’d like activities that are ready to print and go, my Cultural Competence in Healthcare Activities can save you time while giving students powerful, real-world practice