Nurse teacher's perceptions on teaching cultural competence to students in Finland: a descriptive qualitative study.

BACKGROUND

Cultural diversity in healthcare settings requires that care professionals are able to provide culturally competent care. This means that educational institutions have a crucial role to play in equipping students with the skills to deal with diversity in cross-cultural and multicultural contexts. Ensuring that cultural competence is part of the educational curriculum is therefore essential.

PURPOSE

This study aims to examine what elements influence the implementation of cultural competence content in nursing education from a nurse teacher's perspective.

METHODS

A descriptive qualitative design was used consisting of semi-structured interviews with nurse teachers (n = 12). Inductive content analysis was applied to explore their perceptions on teaching cultural competence at a University of Applied Sciences (UAS) in Southern Finland.

RESULTS

Analysis from the open coding of interviews indicated that there are three main categories of importance regarding students' cultural competence education: exposure to diversity in the teaching environment; teacher's experience and understanding of cultural competence; and integrating cultural competence into the curriculum.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that more transparency and cooperation between nurse teachers and the university administration is necessary to ensure the inclusion of cultural competence in nursing education. For instance, teachers should receive training related to cultural competence and evidence-based teaching methods. The curriculum should include a course or workshop about cultural competence with clear learning objectives and evaluation criteria for the purpose of grading. Finally, the educational institution should commit to developing a culturally competent organisation through internationalization and the maintenance of a diverse environment.