Cultural competence among nursing students: exploring differences across academic stages

Abstract Background Cultural competence is essential in healthcare, especially in diverse settings like Israel, to ensure equitable care for all patients. Nurses must develop skills to respect and address the unique cultural needs of various populations. This competence is primarily acquired through...

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Main Authors: Keren Grinberg, Sara Nissim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:BMC Nursing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03246-y
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author Keren Grinberg
Sara Nissim
author_facet Keren Grinberg
Sara Nissim
author_sort Keren Grinberg
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Cultural competence is essential in healthcare, especially in diverse settings like Israel, to ensure equitable care for all patients. Nurses must develop skills to respect and address the unique cultural needs of various populations. This competence is primarily acquired through education and clinical experience. Aim The aim of the study is to examine the levels of cultural competence among Israeli nursing students, comparing those at early stages with those at advanced stages of their studies. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey with 225 nursing students from various institutions in Israel. Cultural competence was assessed using the Cultural Competence Assessment Tool (CCAT). Findings Advanced students showed significantly higher cultural competence than early-stage students. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between the number of languages spoken and cultural competence levels. Discussion The study examined differences in cultural competence between nursing students at early and advanced stages of their studies, highlighting its importance in nursing education. Developing cultural competence is essential for nurses to provide effective, patient-centered care in diverse healthcare environments. Conclusion Cultural competence increases with education and clinical exposure. The findings highlight the need for integrating cultural competence training earlier in nursing curricula to better prepare students for diverse healthcare environments.
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spelling doaj-art-e58c815ed5a4405ebf33cadd0c7b86b52025-08-20T02:31:04ZengBMCBMC Nursing1472-69552025-06-012411710.1186/s12912-025-03246-yCultural competence among nursing students: exploring differences across academic stagesKeren Grinberg0Sara Nissim1Nursing Sciences Department, Faculty Social and Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic CenterNursing Sciences Department, Faculty Social and Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic CenterAbstract Background Cultural competence is essential in healthcare, especially in diverse settings like Israel, to ensure equitable care for all patients. Nurses must develop skills to respect and address the unique cultural needs of various populations. This competence is primarily acquired through education and clinical experience. Aim The aim of the study is to examine the levels of cultural competence among Israeli nursing students, comparing those at early stages with those at advanced stages of their studies. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey with 225 nursing students from various institutions in Israel. Cultural competence was assessed using the Cultural Competence Assessment Tool (CCAT). Findings Advanced students showed significantly higher cultural competence than early-stage students. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between the number of languages spoken and cultural competence levels. Discussion The study examined differences in cultural competence between nursing students at early and advanced stages of their studies, highlighting its importance in nursing education. Developing cultural competence is essential for nurses to provide effective, patient-centered care in diverse healthcare environments. Conclusion Cultural competence increases with education and clinical exposure. The findings highlight the need for integrating cultural competence training earlier in nursing curricula to better prepare students for diverse healthcare environments.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03246-yCultural competenceNursing educationAcademic stagesDiversity in healthcareClinical exposureMultilingualism
spellingShingle Keren Grinberg
Sara Nissim
Cultural competence among nursing students: exploring differences across academic stages
BMC Nursing
Cultural competence
Nursing education
Academic stages
Diversity in healthcare
Clinical exposure
Multilingualism
title Cultural competence among nursing students: exploring differences across academic stages
title_full Cultural competence among nursing students: exploring differences across academic stages
title_fullStr Cultural competence among nursing students: exploring differences across academic stages
title_full_unstemmed Cultural competence among nursing students: exploring differences across academic stages
title_short Cultural competence among nursing students: exploring differences across academic stages
title_sort cultural competence among nursing students exploring differences across academic stages
topic Cultural competence
Nursing education
Academic stages
Diversity in healthcare
Clinical exposure
Multilingualism
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03246-y
work_keys_str_mv AT kerengrinberg culturalcompetenceamongnursingstudentsexploringdifferencesacrossacademicstages
AT saranissim culturalcompetenceamongnursingstudentsexploringdifferencesacrossacademicstages