CULTURAL COMPETENCE AMONG SENIOR NURSING STUDENTS OF MEDICAL UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH-WEST IRAN

The concept of cultural competence is defined as the ability to interact effectively
with people from different cultures. Achieving cultural competence is an important issue in educating
students; however, no study was found in the literature regarding the cultural competence among nursing
students in Iran. The current study aimed to determine the cultural competence of senior nursing students
in north-west Iran.
Material & Methods: This descriptive study is based on a model of cultural competence. A total of 212
senior nursing students were assessed using a cultural competence questionnaire. These students
included all senior nursing students of Tabriz, Maragheh, Urmia, Khoy, and Ardabil Universities of
Medical Sciences, with respect to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data were analyzed using
SPSS-13 software program.
Results: The total cultural competence mean score was 73.69±12.1. According to the guidelines of the
scale used to determine the level of cultural competence among nursing students, components of cultural
incompetence, awareness, competence, and proficiency are classified under “cultural awareness” level.
Conclusion: Using specific active learning methods such as simulation seems appropriate to enable
nursing students to develop their level of cultural competence.