Sherer Erin L, Allegrante John P
Erin Sherer, EdD, PA-C, is an emergency medicine physician assistant at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York. John P. Allegrante, PhD, is a professor of health education in the Department of Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College at Columbia University, and in the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, New York, New York.
J Physician Assist Educ. 2019 Sep;30(3):135-142. doi: 10.1097/JPA.0000000000000260.
To determine physician assistant (PA) students' perceived levels of preparedness to treat patients from culturally diverse backgrounds.
An online survey with quantitative and qualitative components was distributed to students at 8 PA programs in different geographic locations of the United States. The survey used a modified version of the previously validated Self-Assessment of Perceived Level of Cultural Competence Questionnaire and evaluated PA students' knowledge, skills, encounters, attitudes, awareness, and abilities regarding cultural competence, as well as students' evaluation of these components of their education. Descriptive statistics were generated using SPSS software, and qualitative findings were analyzed for common themes.
PA students rated their attitudes, awareness, and abilities about cultural competence as significantly greater than their cultural knowledge, skills, and encounters. Second-year students and racial minority students reported higher personal ratings for levels of cultural competence. Most PA students reported being well prepared (39%) or moderately prepared (46%), compared to those who did not feel at all prepared (15%). Students indicated that specific classes focusing on cultural topics, discussions about cultural issues, and clinical experiences were the most useful for promoting cross-cultural education.
While PA students perceive cultural competence to be important, they appear to be deficient in the areas of cultural knowledge, skills, and encounters. Integrating cultural competence courses, cultural discussions, and clinical rotations involving diverse patient populations should be encouraged throughout PA training as they may strengthen students' preparedness to provide cross-cultural care.
确定医师助理（PA）专业学生对治疗来自不同文化背景患者的准备程度认知水平。
向美国不同地理位置的8个PA项目的学生发放了一份包含定量和定性部分的在线调查问卷。该调查使用了先前验证过的文化能力认知水平自我评估问卷的修改版，评估了PA专业学生在文化能力方面的知识、技能、接触经历、态度、意识和能力，以及学生对其教育中这些组成部分的评价。使用SPSS软件生成描述性统计数据，并对定性研究结果进行共同主题分析。
PA专业学生对自己在文化能力方面的态度、意识和能力的评分显著高于其文化知识、技能和接触经历。二年级学生和少数族裔学生对文化能力水平的个人评分更高。与那些完全没有准备好的学生（15%）相比，大多数PA专业学生表示准备充分（39%）或准备适度（46%）。学生们指出，专注于文化主题的特定课程、关于文化问题的讨论以及临床经验对促进跨文化教育最有用。
虽然PA专业学生认为文化能力很重要，但他们在文化知识、技能和接触经历方面似乎存在不足。在整个PA培训过程中，应鼓励整合文化能力课程、文化讨论以及涉及不同患者群体的临床轮转，因为这可能会增强学生提供跨文化护理的准备程度。
