Enhancing cultural competence in undergraduate nursing students: An integrative literature review of strategies for institutions of higher education

Abstract

Introduction Globally, health care organizations need to provide quality, culturally congruent health care to increasingly diverse patients. Nursing education institutions must therefore produce culturally competent nursing professionals to provide safe and culturally congruent care. This review aimed to identify and outline strategies to enhance cultural competence of undergraduate nursing students. Methodology The integrative literature review followed the five steps of Lubbe et al. searching the university Libguides, EBSCOhost, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases for literature published between 2014 and 2023 that met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality was ensured through the John Hopkins Evidence-based Appraisal Tool. Results Five themes emerged as strategies that can enhance cultural competence for nursing students: integrating cultural competence into undergraduate nursing curriculum, cultural immersion, innovative pedagogical approaches, role of nurse educators, and students' assessment. Conclusion Findings provide nurse educators with evidence-based information on strategies to enhance cultural competence of undergraduate nursing students at nursing education institutions.