Exploring the Meaning of Cultural Competence Among Undergraduate Nursing Students

TL;DR

This study explores how undergraduate nursing students in Australia understand and experience cultural competence, revealing gaps in their skills and factors influencing their learning.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into how nursing students from diverse backgrounds perceive and learn cultural competence, highlighting educational and personal factors.

Findings

Students showed moderate cultural competence but low cultural sensitivity.

Three themes emerged: cultural competence as a lifelong journey, factors shaping interpretations, and learning processes.

Intercultural communication barriers and social segregation affect cultural competence levels.

Abstract

The cultural backgrounds of Australian populations are increasingly diverse due to trends in globalisation and migration. Specifically, within healthcare environments, the rapid growth of multicultural individuals necessitates a change in nursing practice. Healthcare professionals require culturally competent knowledge, skills, and attitudes to accommodate individualised healthcare needs of a diverse population. Therefore, preparing student nurses with an adequate level of cultural competence remains essential in nursing education.

Previous studies indicated that the meaning of cultural competence is ambiguous. Additionally, there is a paucity of research examining the definitions of cultural competence among students with heterogeneous cultural backgrounds. Thus, this study aims to explore undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions and learning experiences of cultural competence, with attention to the personal and educational factors that shape their understanding.

An explanatory sequential mixed‐methods research design was used, and data collection included a survey followed by a series of interviews with undergraduate students. A total of 25 nursing students had completed a full set of Cultural Competence Assessment Tool questionnaires, with five participating in a one‐on‐one interview. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyse the survey data, while the interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis.

Overall, students have a moderate level of cultural competence and scored low on cultural sensitivity. Additionally, three recurring themes were identified in the qualitative results and encompassed understanding cultural competence is a lifelong journey, factors influencing students’ interpretations of cultural competence, and learning cultural competence.

The findings highlight intercultural communication barriers and social segregation as contributing factors to demographic differences in cultural competence. The insights gained may benefit cultural content development in higher education curricula, specifically in nursing contexts. Future research may explore the benefits of alternative pedagogical strategies in enhancing students’ cultural competency.