Do individual or organizational factors influence cultural competency of maternal newborn nurses?: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Cultural competency is a very important ability of nurses in women's hospitals in providing nursing care during pregnancy and childbirth. This study explored how multicultural attitudes, multicultural efficacy, intercultural communicative competency, and hospital support for cultural competency influence the cultural competency of nurses in women's hospitals.

METHODS

A cross-sectional correlational study design was used. The study involved 150 nurses from five women's hospitals located in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. Participants completed a packet of structured self-report questionnaires, which included the Korean version of the Cultural Competence Scale for Clinical Nurses, the Multicultural Attitude Scale Questionnaire, the Intercultural Communicative Competence Questionnaire, the Transcultural Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Organizational Support among Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument. We analyzed the collected data using descriptive statistics, the t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS

Among the general characteristics, educational level, religion, and experience with overseas travel were identified as factors influencing cultural competency. In the final model, multicultural attitudes (β=.46, p<.001) and intercultural communicative competency (β=.19, p=.025) emerged as significant individual factors that affected cultural competency. This model accounted for 49.8% of the variance in cultural competency.

CONCLUSION

This study identified multicultural attitudes and intercultural communicative competency as significant individual factors contributing to the cultural competency of nurses in women's hospitals. Therefore, enhancing these nurses' multicultural attitudes and intercultural communicative competency is essential for improving their overall cultural competency.

Development of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender cultural competence scale for nurses in South Korea: a methodological study

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to develop a cultural competence scale for nurses regarding the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and to test its validity and reliability.

METHODS

The study adhered to the 8-step process outlined by DeVellis, with an initial set of 25 items derived through a literature review and individual interviews. Following an expert validity assessment, 24 items were validated. Subsequently, a preliminary survey was conducted among 23 nurses with experience caring for LGBT patients. Data were then collected from a final sample of 322 nurses using the 24 items. Item analysis, item-total score correlation, examination of construct and convergent validity, and reliability testing were performed.

RESULTS

The item-level content validity index exceeded .80, and the explanatory power of the construct validity was 63.63%. The factor loadings varied between 0.57 and 0.80. The scale comprised five factors: cultural skills, with seven items; cultural awareness, with five items; cultural encounters, with three items; cultural pursuit, with three items; and cultural knowledge, with three items; totaling 21 items. Convergent validity demonstrated a high correlation, affirming the scale's validity. Internal consistency analysis yielded an overall reliability coefficient of 0.97, signifying very high reliability. Each item is scored from 1 to 6 (total score range, 21-126), with higher scores reflecting greater cultural competence in LGBT care.

CONCLUSION

This scale facilitates the measurement of LGBT cultural competence among nurses. Therefore, its use should provide foundational data to support LGBT-focused nursing education programs.

A multilevel investigation of cultural competence among South Korean clinical nurses

BACKGROUND

There is lack of empirical evidence on whether organisational variables affect the cultural competence of nurses.

AIM

This study aimed to investigate individual and organisational characteristics associated with South Korean clinical nurses' cultural competence.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used. A convenient sample of 401 clinical nurses from 21 hospitals in South Korea was recruited between November 2015 and February 2016. Multilevel modelling was used to estimate the effects of individual- and organisation-level predictors. Data were analysed using the nlme package in R.

RESULTS

Multilevel modelling indicated that professionalism (β = 0.02, p < 0.001) and foreign language fluency (β = 0.25, p = 0.012) were significant individual-level predictors. Education on foreign patient care was marginally significant at p = 0.069. At the organisational level, nurse-to-patient ratio (β = 0.37, p = 0.038) and organisational cultural competence (β = 0.02, p < 0.001) were significant predictors. In addition, hospital ownership and work environment were marginally significant at p = 0.054 and p = 0.050, respectively. Furthermore, there was a significant cross-level interaction between professionalism and hospital ownership (β = 0.03, p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

To provide culturally competent care, nurse leaders should recognise the importance of organisational-level factors, such as nurse staffing and organisational cultural competence, and create an environment that is inclusive of diverse patients, as well as promote professionalism among individual nurses.

Experience of migrant care and needs for cultural competence training among public health workers in Korea

OBJECTIVE

This study explored the experiences of public health workers (PHWs) providing health care for migrants living in Korea and clarified needs for cultural competence training.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE

Twenty-six PHWs from five public health centers in Gwangju city, South Korea, participated in this exploratory qualitative study.

METHODS

Five semi-structured focus group interviews of PHWs were conducted from September to December 2016. A directed content analysis approach was conducted using four categories: perceived characteristics of migrants, interaction between PHWs and migrants, interaction between PHWs and organizations/systems, and cultural competence training needs.

RESULTS

PHWs perceived that migrants lacked autonomy in health decisions and awareness of health behaviors. PHWs experienced difficulties in communicating and in establishing trusting relationships. They found clients hard to reach and easy to miss, a lack of continuity in health care programs, and inadequate human and material resources. They preferred passive teaching methods to activity-based simulation. PHWs believed essential training should be provided through e-learning to all PHWs, including management.

CONCLUSION

PHWs reported experiencing multiple challenges from a lack of preparedness for culturally competent care and their clients' vulnerability. Development of cultural competence training is suggested through e-learning that reflects the PHWs' experiences and provides systematic support.