Cultural humility among nursing students in a multicultural setting

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Given the importance of cultural diversity in healthcare, the shift from “cultural competence” to “cultural humility” has become crucial. This transition is particularly relevant for nursing students in multiethnic regions, such as Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey, where diverse cultural interactions can significantly impact their professional development and practice. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the cultural humility levels of nursing students. METHODS: This descriptive study was carried out with nursing students in two universities in the Southeastern Anatolia region, where the immigrant population is dense, in Turkey. RESULTS: In this study, the total mean score of the Cultural Humility Scale of the students participating in the research was 70.03±16.01. A significant difference was found between the Cultural Humility scale mean scores of the students and their gender, nationality, native language, experience of going abroad, desire to live in another country, and enjoying spending time with people from different cultures (p < 0.05). Significant positive correlations were determined between the average scores provided by the students on a 0–10 scale, indicating the importance they placed on cultural diversity in nursing education, and both the total score of the Cultural Humility Scale and the mean score of its sub-dimensions (p < 0.01, r = 0.273) CONCLUSION: This study found that the cultural humility level of nursing students living and studying with people from various cultures is sometimes exhibited.