Self-Reflection and Cultural Competence in Nursing Practice: Toward a Holistic Approach to Inclusive Care

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Education
• Cultural Competence Studies

Background:

• Cultural competence is vital for holistic nursing in diverse settings.
• Formal education is important, but self-reflection enhances cultural awareness and inclusive care.
• Self-reflection is a critical tool for developing culturally responsive nursing practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nurses' self-evaluation of cultural competence in Polish healthcare.
• To explore the role of self-reflection in nurses' cultural competence development.
• To identify specific areas of strength and weakness in nurses' self-perceived cultural competence.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study with 218 nurses in Greater Poland (December 2024 - February 2025).
• Utilized a self-developed Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Scale.
• Employed descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and linear regression for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Most nurses reported high self-rated cultural competence.
• Identified deficits in using inclusive language and addressing discrimination.
• Higher education and diverse patient experience correlated with lower self-ratings, possibly due to heightened self-awareness (Dunning-Kruger effect).

Conclusions:

• Self-reflection and inclusive communication are key to enhancing cultural competence.
• Reflective practices should be integrated into nursing education.
• Findings support incorporating self-awareness and cultural responsiveness into daily nursing care.