Cultural competency among nurses with undergraduate and graduate degrees: implications for nursing education

To compare the level of cultural awareness, knowledge, skills, and comfort of nurses with undergraduate and graduate degrees when encountering patients from diverse populations.

Cultural competency is a core curriculum standard in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. Assessing cultural awareness, knowledge, skills, and comfort among nurses can help identify areas to strengthen in nursing curricula.

A prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study design was used. Two thousand surveys were sent to nurses in a southeastern state; 365 nurses participated.

Undergraduate-degree nurses scored lower than graduate-degree nurses on cultural knowledge. Scores on cultural awareness, skills, and comfort with patient encounters did not vary between groups. Both groups of nurses reported little cultural diversity training in the workplace or in professional continuing education.

The findings of this study indicate areas of need for undergraduate and graduate nursing education.