Effects of the Experiences of Multicultural Education and Multicultural Contact on Cultural Competence among Korean Nursing Students / 의료커뮤니케이션

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify the level of cultural competence and effects of the experiences of multicultural education and multicultural contact on cultural competence among Korean nursing students.METHODS: This study involved 233 nursing students from two colleges. Data collection was conducted through questionnaires about the experiences of multicultural education, multicultural contact, and cultural competence.RESULTS: The main results were as follows. Cultural competence of participants was found to be moderate(M=3.45, SD=0.45). Among the experiences of multicultural education and multicultural contact, grade level, multicultural in-class education, multicultural education in non-cultural class, multicultural education in extra-curricular programs, the experience of caring for foreign patients, and acquiring multicultural information from mass-media were variables with a statistically significant correlation with cultural competence.CONCLUSION: When developing a program to enhance cultural competence, it is necessary to develop level-specific programs considering the differences by grade level, encourage extra-curricular activities, and construct systematic educational programs applying various teaching methods.