Cultural Competence and Transcultural Teaching Behaviors and Influencing Factors in Nursing Academia: A Mixed-Methods Study Among Nurse Educators.

INTRODUCTION

Cultural competence is crucial in nursing education, with nurse educators playing a key role. However, limited research has explored factors influencing their cultural competence.

OBJECTIVES

This study has two aims: to assess cultural competence levels and transcultural teaching behaviors among academic nurse educators and to explore the factors influencing these cultural competencies through both quantitative and qualitative analyses.

METHODS

A convergent mixed-method design was used. A convenience sample of 45 nurse educators in a Saudi college completed the Cultural Diversity Questionnaire for Nurse Educators-Revised. Semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected educators provided insights into factors influencing cultural competence. Data were analyzed using inferential statistics and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The majority of nurse educators exhibited moderate cultural competence with a mean percent score of 73.55 ± 13.5, with cultural awareness being the highest and cultural encounters the lowest. Cultural competence, particularly awareness, played a significant role in shaping and predicting Transcultural Teaching Behaviors, with 92.3% of the variance in teaching behaviors. Thematic analysis identified personal factors, professional development, institutional support, and barriers that influence educators' ability to foster cultural competence. Age, multilingualism, training, and professional growth were found to significantly enhance educators' cultural competence.

CONCLUSION

Nurse educators show moderate cultural competence, with cultural awareness playing a key role in predicting Transcultural Teaching Behaviors. Strengthening cultural encounters through experiential learning and immersion programs is essential. The study highlights the need for professional development, curriculum integration, and institutional support to enhance cultural competence in nursing education.