An educational approach to develop intercultural nursing care for refugees from Ukraine: A qualitative study

To describe how nurses and nursing students in Poland and the United States perceive the practice of intercultural care of refugees from Ukraine.

Millions of Ukrainian citizens sought safety in other countries when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Nurses in Poland and the United States are positioned to provide nursing care for refugees from Ukraine yet lack intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes to meet refugee needs.

This education-focused qualitative description study was conducted in Spring 2023. Eighteen MSN and BSN students from one university in Poland and one university in the United States completed an international virtual exchange course that concentrated on the health and well-being of refugees from Ukraine. Students' reflection papers generated the data for this study. Content analysis was used to systematically structure the data, and themes were inductively derived for an initial understanding of intercultural care for refugees. The COREQ guidelines were followed for reporting study findings.

Major themes were troubled communication, overlooked trauma-informed care, and compromised vaccine status. Language differences, a gap in nursing knowledge, and cultural variations impeded intercultural care.

To address intercultural care for refugees from Ukraine, macro- and microlevel factors should be considered. Healthcare facilities need certified interpreters or adequate language-access technology for nurses. Nursing programs might evaluate content on trauma-informed care and cultural competency to meet the needs of war-affected refugees. Leaders from Ukrainian refugee communities could partner with nurses to deliver culturally relevant information to increase vaccine uptake.

Nurses should advocate for inclusion of the WHO competency standards of care for refugees in healthcare policies with emphasis on communication and evidence-informed practice. Placing Ukrainian community leaders on health councils could bridge the gap between refugees and mainstream society.