Cultural Competence in Nurses in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background. Nursing staff are typically multi-national, especially in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi nurses deal with multicultural patients, which creates a culturally diverse atmosphere. As a result, cultural competence is essential. Aim. To assess cultural competence among nurses in Saudi Arabia Methods. A systematic review was performed to assess cultural competence among nurses in Saudi Arabia. Findings. The study provides in-depth summaries of 11 papers included in this review. No studies published before 2014 investigated the cultural competence of Saudi Arabian nurses. However, the authors noted a sharp rise from 2020 in the number of studies dealing with this issue. Sample sizes ranged from 11 to 650 participants. Three studies were qualitative compared to eight quantitative studies. Seven studies focused on staff nurses, one on academic nurses, two on nursing students, and one on nurse leaders. Three concentrated on the academic setting, seven on clinical settings, and one on community settings. Most studies collected data from surveys, while a few used interviews and cross-sectional methodologies. Conclusion. Healthcare systems should be structured to encourage the empowerment of nurses from different nationalities and build effective communication policies to improve cultural competency among nurses. Future research should look at the relationship between individual training programs designed to increase cultural competence and their effect on the quality of patient care. Also, further research should incorporate a more diverse range of cultures. Keywords: Cultural competence, nurses, Saudi Arabia, patient outcome, knowledge, skills, attitude.