Training intersectional competence: A guideline on innovative pedagogical strategies for nursing educators

Abstract

Background

Despite equity being a foundational nursing value, its practical application in higher education remains inconsistent. Current pedagogical health justice frameworks often overlook intersecting structural inequities, leaving a significant gap between theoretical tenets, pedagogical implementation, and future nursing practice.

Innovation / Major Points

We propose a practical roadmap for integrating the Intersectional Competence Framework (ICF) into undergraduate nursing curricula. Moving beyond abstract theory, we operationalize this framework across five core dimensions with actionable pedagogical strategies, demonstrating that intersectional competence can be systematically trained and assessed within existing programs.

Implications

These strategies allow nursing education to foster critical self-awareness, analyse structural inequalities, and prepare equity-oriented professionals. However, scaling this competence requires re-evaluating traditional teaching approaches, continuous faculty development, and explicit alignment with institutional policies.

Conclusions

Integrating intersectionality is not a cosmetic curriculum update; it requires systemic commitment to institutional reflexivity. This paper operationalizes intersectional theory into transformative teaching practice, providing educators with the tools to ensure higher education remains socially responsive and structurally transformative.