ABSTRACT
Statistics reveal that there are over one million asylum seekers around the world every year. Asylums seeker have different definitions, but the most basic idea is that they are people seeking to leave their countries because their lives are at risk because of their race, color, religion, political persecution, war, or natural disasters (Bozorgmehr and Razum, 2015; Esses, V. et al, 2008). Many factors determine whether the refugees will be accepted in their intended country or not. Demographic variables, as well as the attitudes of the natives and the attitudes of the asylum seekers, determine the kind of attitude the natives will have towards the asylum seekers. Many factors affect the native’s attitudes towards refugees, including their values, their choices in political representation, their culture and the government policies on refugees (Norredam et al., 2006).
INTRODUCTION
This research intends to find out the student’s attitudes towards refugees, evaluate how these beliefs affect how they treat their patients and determine how these attitudes can be changed through adjustments to the nursing training curriculum. The research also strives at finding out the extent of prejudices towards refugees so that it can determine what can be done to make nursing education more socially inclusive and tailor make it include training on how to deal with refugees delicately without showing insensitivity (Seeleman, 2009). The study will also aim at determining whether the student felt uncomfortable while giving treatment for asylum seekers during their rotations in the hospital-based learning. This research work will include research questions: how an asylum seeker is defined? How does the definition of an asylum seeker affect their attitude? Which variables in the college student affect their bias or lack thereof to asylum seekers? Is there a difference between how one treats asylum seekers and a native in a hospital setting? (Berg, 2010)
BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM
Sociological studies show that the definition, none has for something or someone greatly influences how they treat the person. In addition to answering the above questions, the research will review the various literature on the subject that have attempted to respond to the questions. The literature will include papers and journals written on the treatment of asylum seekers and how the nursing training curriculum equips nursing students with the skills to deal with all refugees regardless of the student’s opinions. It is important that the curriculum equips the students with the skills to put away their individual feelings on immigrants and deal with as they would native patients while at the same time being sensitive to their situations. Studies also show that there is a discrepancy in the nursing curriculum because it does not teach the students how to deal with situations that present an individual and cultural dilemma (Fahrenwald, N, et al, 2001).
The curriculum is comprehensive when it comes to teaching the students overall patient care, but it fails to guide the students on how to deal with situations such as when they are faced with refugees, traumatic experiences or when the refugees have a negative attitude towards. The learning period does not equip the students to deal with their attitudes towards refugees (Verkuyten, 2004). This leaves them to learn on the job which is distressing for the students and the patients. Research shows that natives demographic factors-income, race, gender, education, and gender- have a large impact on how they treat refugees (Silove, 2000). These attitudes also have an impact on the number of refugees from a particular demographic that will be authorized entry into the United States since most government policies are based on the opinions of the people.
The questionnaires will also seek to determine how accepting the students are towards different refugees; war refugees, political, genders, backgrounds, religions or situations. In the questionnaires they will be questioned on how the students evaluate the refugee policies in the country and whether they think any changes should be made; If so how?
The survey targets to include about two hundred students within the college. It will be based on convenient sampling rather than a representation of the whole college student body (Downing, and Kowal, 2010). Participants who fail to at least complete half of the questionnaires will be disqualified. The data collected will be analyzed using SPSS analysis tools.
CONCLUSION
Based on the increase in the multicultural nature of the society, there is a need to ensure that all the nursing practitioners are culturally competent. This can be done by enhancing the nursing curriculum to become more socially inclusive and culturally competent to ensure the provision of quality health care for all patients regardless of their background. It is also important that the curriculum helps the student recognize their prejudices and attitudes towards asylum seekers. It will enable the learn how to deal with them in front of a patient or work towards abolishing them entirely, which will enhance both their capabilities as health care providers and also influence others and their patients to change their attitudes. The results of the survey will determine the recommendations that will be made to improve health care, education provision and health care provider’s cultural competencies.
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