Intercultural-global competencies for the 21st century and beyond

Increased diversity exists in Anglo-Saxon countries, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. By 2050, no single ethnic group is expected to be in a majority in the United States. Health care reform points to an urgent need for health care professionals, such as nursing, medicine, allied health, nutrition, and other interdisciplinary health care team members, to serve a multi-ethnic population by developing intercultural-global and 21st-century competencies. Nurse educators must acknowledge the need to familiarize themselves and integrate these competencies into university and continuing education programs by evaluating and reporting outcomes. All nurses can be expected to have these competencies as global citizens through local, intercultural, and global interactions and exchanges.