Intercultural readiness of nursing students: An integrative review of evidence examining cultural competence educational interventions

Abstract

With the mounting reports of culturally insensitive care and the reported challenges nurses experience when caring for culturally diverse patients, developing the intercultural readiness of nursing students is a necessity. However, little is known as to the success of cultural competence educational interventions in undergraduate nursing curricula and there remains a lack of consensus within the literature as to how it should be structured, organised and facilitated. Incorporating an integrative review method, this study synthesised international research on educational interventions used in preparing student nurses to care for culturally diverse patients. A systematic literature search of all published studies between 2013 and 2017, in CINAHL, Scopus, Medline, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Education Source and PsycINFO databases were performed. The PRISMA checklist was used to guide the review process. Six hundred and twenty-four studies were screened for eligibility and the analysis of the fourteen included studies are presented within two overarching themes; increasing knowledge and understanding and developing commitment and confidence. Engaging student nurses in learning activities that augment their understanding of, and commitment to, providing culturally competent care must include a variety of integrated culturally responsive pedagogical approaches made explicit and continuously developed across all learning opportunities.

Keywords: Cultural competence; Educational interventions; Integrative literature review; Nursing students.