Exploring Intercultural Sensitivities of Nursing Students in Two Countries: A Comparative Study

Nambiar-Greenwood, Gayatri ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6139-1936 and Birimoglu Okuyan, Canan (2020) Exploring Intercultural Sensitivities of Nursing Students in Two Countries: A Comparative Study. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 13 (2). pp. 1004-1012. ISSN 1791-5201

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Abstract

Background: Intercultural sensitivities and cultural care are important for the delivery of quality and effective nursing care. Purpose: This research was carried out to explore and compare the differences in the cultural sensitivity of nursing students who had undergone differing cultural care education in two different countries. Methods: A descriptive and comparative design was used in this study. The participants were first and the third year nursing students from the United Kingdom and a Turkish university. Three hundred thirty-six students responded to the survey. Data was collected via an online survey form, which incorporated an Intercultural Sensitivity Scale. For statistical analysis of data: number, percentage distribution, median, standard deviation, t test, and one-way variance analysis was used. Qualitative reporting of the data was then interpreted by comparing and contrasting the methods of teaching used by both institutions to the data that had emerged. Results: The students’ average age of students was 22.6 ± 5.3, and 253 (75.3%) were women. When comparing the mean scores, it was found that the mean score of United Kingdom students on Intercultural Sensitivity Scale was 95.25±8.23 and that of Turkish students was 81.47±7.45, and the difference between two groups was significant (p < .005). The statistical results revealed that participation, self-confidence, and enjoyment of intercultural interaction of the UK student nurses was higher compared to their Turkish counterparts. Conclusions: Despite similarities in both sets of nursing students’ respect for cultural differences and interaction attentiveness, there were differences in day-to-day interaction, confidence, and enjoyment in multicultural interaction.