Title: A descriptive study to assess the self reported level of Cultural Competence to care for a Transcultural population among Nurses in a tertiary care hospital
Authors: Radhika Das, Punita A Sharma
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v7i7.97
Abstract
Background: The world today is becoming smaller and is no longer separated by differences in food, language or religion. Recent advances in work, technology and medicine has made people frequently travel round the globe. A nurse today has to be efficient in care of not only one kind of patients, but those from every corner of the world with different food habits, religion or ways of living. When a nurse provides care that includes knowledge, attitudes, and skills that support caring for people across different languages and cultures she is called Culturally Competent. Nurses serving in the Armed forces serve across the terrains of the country and even abroad. Giving culturally relevant care is an essential part of their functions, as they commonly care for patients who are of different cultural background than theirs. Transcultural nursing though being a distinct nursing speciality has today become the need of every nurse which focuses on global cultures and comparative cultural caring, health, and nursing phenomena.
Objective of the study was to assess the self reported level of cultural competence to care for a transcultural population among nurses in a tertiary care hospital.
Methods/Design: Quantitative non experimental study design was followed. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among selected nurses of a tertiary care hospital. 100 nurses were selected following convenient sampling. Tool had two sections with questions of sociodemographical variables and Nurse Cultural competence Scale (NCCS) regarding cultural competence among the nurses in the tertiary care hospital.
Results: Cultural Knowledge among the nurses was 336, Cultural Awareness was 243, Cultural Sensitivity was 258, and Cultural Skill among the selected nurses was 325 out of a subtotal of 500. The results reveal that the selected nurses had adequate knowledge on Culture and skills required for effective care, but needed to improve on Cultural awareness and Sensitivity.
Keywords: Transcultural Nursing, Cultural Competence, Nurses.
