Mentors' cultural competence at mentoring culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students in clinical practice: An international cross-sectional study.

AIMS: This study aimed to identify mentors' cultural competence profiles at mentoring culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students in clinical practice and explore associating factors. BACKGROUND: Globalization has had a significant impact on healthcare, increasing the diversity of healthcare workforces and the number of culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students in clinical practice. The cultural competence of mentors is important to secure students' safe and successful learning. The mentor role in clinical practice contributes toward enabling and ensuring students' high-quality and goal-oriented development of competence. DESIGN: This study implemented a cross-sectional design with a final sample of 270 clinical practice mentors from Finland, Lithuania, Spain and Slovenia. METHODS: The data were collected using an online survey including the Mentors' Cultural Competence Instrument, Mentors' Competence Instrument and background questions during 2020-2021. The data were analyzed using a K-mean cluster algorithm to identify mentors' competency profiles. RESULTS: Three significantly differing mentor competency profiles (Profile A 42%, Profile B 41%, Profile C 17%) were identified in this study. The cultural competence of the mentors in clinical practice varied between intermediate and high levels. Mentors rated their cultural competence as best in the area of cultural sensitivity and awareness, whereas the lowest scored area was cultural interaction and safety. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the cultural competence of mentors in clinical practice varied and was influenced by mentors' work experience, age, job title and frequency of mentoring. This study provides new knowledge that could help to develop cultural competence operating models and education to enhance the cultural competence of healthcare professionals.

Ethical and cultural competence of social- and health care educators from educational institutions - Cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The international mobility has increased cultural diversity in social- and health care. As such, ethical and cultural competence is an essential skill among educators. They are promoting the ethical and cultural competence and professional growth of students with diverse backgrounds and, therefore, must be ethically and culturally competent. AIM: The aim of the study was to identify distinct ethical and cultural competence profiles of social- and health care educators and explore the associated factors. RESEARCH DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used to collect quantitative observational data in 2020-2021. Competence profiles were identified by K-means clustering based on answers to an instrument focussing on educators' ethical and cultural competence. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: Participants (N = 1179, n = 243) were social- and health care educators based at 10 universities of applied sciences and 10 vocational colleges in Finland. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The research adhered to good scientific practice. A research permit was received from each educational institution that participated in the study. The privacy of the participants was protected throughout the study. RESULTS: The analysis identified three profiles of educators (A, B, C) based on self-assessed ethical and cultural competence. Profile A educators demonstrated high scores across all three competence areas. Profile B educators had high scores for ethical knowledge and intermediate scores for other competence areas. Profile C educators demonstrated intermediate scores across all three competence areas. An educator's pedagogical education was found to significantly influence which profile they belonged to. CONCLUSIONS: The educators generally evaluated their ethical and cultural competence highly. Educators understand the importance of professional ethics in their work, but they need additional support in developing ethics skills in their daily work. Among all educators, there is a need for developing international and culturally diverse collaboration.

Educational intervention to support development of mentors' competence in mentoring culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Those who mentor nursing students from diverse backgrounds should be educationally prepared to provide safe, culturally appropriate mentoring in clinical learning environments. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of an educational intervention on mentors' competence in mentoring culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students during clinical placement. DESIGN: Nonrandomised, quasi-experimental study. SETTINGS: The study was conducted at two hospitals located in Finland. PARTICIPANTS: Mentors responsible for mentoring nursing students during clinical placements. METHODS: The intervention group (n = 49) completed blended learning mentoring education containing a cultural competence component. The control group (n = 62) completed online mentoring education lacking a cultural competence component. Data were collected from both groups at baseline, immediately after education, and at six-months follow-up using the Mentors' Competence Instrument and Mentors' Cultural Competence Instrument. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to determine differences before and after education. Mixed model for repeated measures was used to compare the differences between the two groups. RESULTS: Pretest-posttest results revealed statistically significant improvements in both groups on general mentoring competences. Both groups evaluated their competence in cultural sensitivity and awareness highly throughout the study period. Following education, competence in cultural interaction and safety and cultural skills increased statistically significantly in the intervention group. The intervention group was statistically significantly more satisfied with mentoring education, and reported that it had statistically significantly higher impact on their ability and willingness to mentor students. Comparison between groups revealed statistically nonsignificant differences in mentors' competence in mentoring culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students following education. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides evidence on the development and evaluation of education designed to improve mentors' competence in mentoring, which may help nursing students from diverse backgrounds overcome challenges faced during clinical placements. Reinforcement strategies following education are needed in order to facilitate the maintenance of competence over time. CLINICALTRIALS: gov (ID:NCT04280172).