Investigation of the cultural competence levels of diabetes nurses

Abstract

Objective: It is important for nurses to have cultural competence in order to keep up with the cultural diversity brought by globalization. In this study, we aim to examine the cultural competence levels of diabetes nurses in diabetes education and care in accordance with the cultural characteristics of individuals with diabetes.

Methods: This study was conducted in a cross-sectional descriptive type with 183 diabetes nurses between September 15 and December 15, 2020 in Turkey. The data were collected using the Introductory Information Form and the Nurse Cultural Competence Scale.

Results: We determine that almost all of the diabetes nurses had cultural competence above the average. We find that having a postgraduate degree from diabetes nurses, receiving cultural education before, and having a diabetes nurse experience of 6 years or more affected the cultural competence levels (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This research shows that diabetes nurses in Turkey have cultural competence in providing care to individuals with diabetes from different cultures, and that education and experience affect this situation. It is predicted that diabetes nurses will contribute to the selfmanagement of individuals with diabetes by implementing strategies to improve their cultural competence.