Act Local but Think Global: Transcultural Nursing Competencies and Experiences of Foreign Students from Selected Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines

Abstract

The need for transcultural nursing competencies amongst students offers an array of
improvements in nursing education, hospitals, and communities around the globe. This
research assessed the level of transcultural nursing competencies and experiences of foreign
nursing students. The objectives of the study are to assess the: level of perceived transcultural
experiences of respondents in terms of nursing education, classroom instruction, clinical
instruction and clinical practice; level of transcultural nursing competencies of the
respondents in terms of cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skills, cultural
encounters and cultural desire; and the significant relationship between perceived
transcultural experiences of respondents and their level of transcultural nursing competencies.
Data were collected using descriptive-evaluative, descriptive-comparative and descriptivecorrelational research designs with a purposive sample of 104 respondents through a
researcher-made tool which underwent exploratory factor analysis establishing its reliability
and validity. Frequency distribution and percentage, weighted mean and standard deviation,
and Spearman rank were utilized for data analysis. Respondents had adequate general
experiences in nursing education (M=3.13); classroom instruction (M=3.16); clinical
instruction (M=3.13) and clinical practice (M=3.38). They acquired clinical experiences and
adequate competence in cultural awareness (M=3.73); cultural knowledge (M=3.24); cultural
skills (M=3.27); cultural encounters (M=3.16) and cultural desire (M=3.52). Respondents
were knowledgeable of other cultures and they understood institutional difficulties
discouraging cultural groups from obtaining healthcare services. They had skills in
understanding the relationship between health and culture including cultural assessment tools
used to evaluate patients and they possessed the willingness to learn from others. Significant
relationship were between general experiences in nursing education and cultural awareness
(p=0.003); classroom instruction and cultural skills (p=0.002); clinical instruction and clinical
awareness (p=0.024) and cultural skills (p=0.003); cultural encounters (p=0.001) and cultural
desire (p=0.021); clinical practice and cultural awareness (p=0.000); cultural skills (p=0.003);
cultural encounters (p=0.000) and cultural desire (p=0.012). Students’ theoretical and clinical
experiences need strengthening and improvement by incorporating transcultural nursing in
the curriculum.