Searching for content on female genital cutting/mutilation in curriculums of U.S. Nursing Schools.

BACKGROUND

Over 500,000 women and girls in the U.S. are at risk for female genital cutting/mutilation, (FGC/M) because their cultural heritage is from countries where FGC/M is prevalent. Nurses lack knowledge about FGC/M, making them less likely to provide culturally congruent care. Little is known about FGC/M-related information in nursing school curriculums.

METHODS

A total of 403 schools of nursing (SONs) responded to an anonymous online survey to identify the extent, placement, and educational approaches regarding FGC/M found in curricular content in nursing schools in the U.S.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven percent of respondents did not know if nurses cared for FGC/M-affected women in the region where their nursing school was located. Only 27% of responding schools indicated FGC/M was taught in their curriculums, mostly in undergraduate programs, and primarily during classroom lectures, and rarely by simulation. SONs that were aware that nurses in their region provided care to women and girls at risk for FGC/M were more likely to have content on FGC/M in their curriculums.

CONCLUSION

Though respondents indicated that this topic is important to global nursing education, it appears that few U.S. nursing students are learning to provide culturally congruent care to women and girls at risk for FGC/M. It is vital that nurse educators include this topic in appropriate places in the curriculum, so that students learn the unique healthcare needs of this population.