The determination of intercultural sensitivity and ethnocentrism levels among nurses and nursing students: A border of city, Turkey

Abstract

Aim The current study is a descriptive‐comparative study and aims to determine intercultural sensitivity and ethnocentrism levels among nurses and nursing students. Method The study was conducted with 207 nurses working at a State Hospital and 211 nursing students studying at a University between November 30, 2019, and January 20, 2020. The data were collected using a descriptive characteristics form, the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, and the Ethnocentrism Scale. Findings It was found that both nurses and nursing students (73.4% and 60.7%, respectively) struggled to communicate with foreign patients and experienced problems with cultural differences (49.8% and 22.7%, respectively). A statistically significant negative correlation was found for the nurses and nursing students in terms of their intercultural sensitivity and ethnocentrism scores (p < .05). Practical Implication Nurses and student nurses should interact with people from different cultures to improve refugee health care.

The effect of moral intelligence on cultural sensitivity in nurses

“…The participants' mean total score on the intercultural sensitivity scale was 89.34 ± 10.01. This finding was similar to the findings obtained in the literature both in Turkey and other countries (Aksoy & Akkoç, 2020;Aslan & Kizir, 2019;Chang et al, 2013;Kargın & Çapar Çiftçi, 2020;Karasu et al, 2022;Kürtüncü et al, 2018;Toda & Maru, 2018;Yilmaz et al, 2017Yilmaz et al, , 2019. This finding was also important in terms of demonstrating that the nurses had a culturally empathetic understanding.…”

“…The reason for this situation may be associated with the nurses' experiences of difficulties in using interaction language and skills when encountering individuals with different cultural characteristics and statuses. In a similar study carried out by Karasu et al (2022), the mean score of nurses in the subscale of interaction engagement was found to be higher. It is thought that this finding was associated with nurses who were enthusiastic about gaining cultural knowledge and skills by receiving education in the clinical field.…”

“…For this reason, there is a growing interest in cultural sensitivity in globalized and multicultural societies. In the interaction of healthcare professionals with individuals who have different cultural backgrounds, the individuals for whom they provide care services should also feel comfortable and involved (Aktaş et al, 2021; Dur et al, 2021; Göl & Erkin, 2019; Karasu et al, 2022). Considering the findings of this study, the mean score of the nurses on the interaction enjoyment subscale of the intercultural sensitivity scale was lower in comparison to their mean scores on the other subscales, and their mean scores on the subscales of respect for cultural differences, interaction engagement, interaction confidence, and interaction attentiveness were higher (Table 1).…”

“…For this reason, there is a growing interest in cultural sensitivity in globalized and multicultural societies. In the interaction of healthcare professionals with individuals who have different cultural backgrounds, the individuals for whom they provide care services should also feel comfortable and involved (Aktaş et al, 2021;Dur et al, 2021;Göl & Erkin, 2019;Karasu et al, 2022).…”

Investigation of Intercultural Sensitivity and Ethnocentrism Levels of Midwife Candidates in Turkey Sample: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In the literature, several studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between intercultural sensitivity and the level of ethnocentrism in different disciplines (Akyıl & Yıldırım, 2020; Bilgiç & Şahin, 2019; Çimen, 2019; Demir & Kiran, 2016; Erdogan & Okumuslar, 2020; Karasu et al, 2021; Kaya et al, 2021; Leung et al, 2020; Tezcan, 2020). In many studies conducted in the field of nursing, a negative relationship has been reported between the levels of intercultural sensitivity and ethnocentrism.…”