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

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Clinical practice; Cross-sectional study; Cultural and linguistic diversity; Cultural competence; Mentoring; Nursing student.