Facing the Issue of Cultural Sensitivity with Female Patients who have Undergone Circumcision: A Survey ofNursing Students’ Knowledge and Perceptions Concerning the Practice of Circumcision

Abstract

With an influx of refugees coming to the United States, the need to be culturally sensitive has become increasingly important. Health care workers are now being exposed to what was once a relatively unknown issue in the Western world: the controversial practice of female circumcision. The aim of this research was twofold: to determine the degree of knowledge nursing students have concerning female circumcision, and to ascertain if participating in an educational seminar on the practice of female circumcision might have an effect on how nursing students care for patients who have been circumcised. Data was collected from 25 nursing students who were enrolled in an upper-level nursing course. Seventy-six percent of the students had little or no knowledge of the practice. Data from this study may be considered for future curriculum development.