Abstract
Cultural competence is a crucial requirement of nursing to promote caring for patients with diverse backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to develop a cultural competence course and to evaluate the effects of the course on undergraduate nursing students in Vietnam. A concurrent triangulation mixed-methods study was adopted using quantitative and qualitative data sources. Sixty-six nursing students were recruited for the following groups: cultural competence course with field experience (n = 22), stand-alone cultural competence course (n = 22), and a control group (n = 22). The findings indicated that significant group by time interactions in total cultural competence score (F = 66.73, p < 0.001) were found. Participants’ perceptions reflected on three categories: (a) journey to cultural competence, (b) satisfaction of cultural competence course, and (c) suggestions for improvements. No statistically significant differences between the two experimental groups were revealed, but “obtaining cultural experiences” and “expanding understanding of cultural competence through field experience” were immersed from participants having field experience. It is vital to expand cultural competency education into nursing curricula to enhance nursing students’ perspective of culturally competent care.
Highlights
Cultural competence has become an essential component and requirement in nursing education to reinforce the need for culturally competent care
The findings indicate that the nursing curriculum has not routinely focused on cultural competence, and previous students’ foundational knowledge of cultural competence was limited
The first experimental group attending a cultural competence course with field experience had the chance to practice in a minority community in Vietnam
Summary
Cultural competence has become an essential component and requirement in nursing education to reinforce the need for culturally competent care. Comprehensive education and training are key to improving cultural competence in nursing care [8,9]. With 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, cultural diversity is a visible aspect of the challenges faced by society [10] in the context of health inequity and disparity [11,12]. This diversity emphasizes the pressing need to develop cultural competence for Vietnamese nurses in order to achieve health equality for all patients, irrespective of their cultural background [13]
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