Learning Objective #1: Explain the importance of cultural competence in nursing education and practice

Learning Objective #2: Describe the differences in nursing students' and faculty's cultural competence

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The demographics of the United States population are changing with an increase in the number of minorities. Healthcare professionals and education programs cannot ignore the consumers' need for culturally competent care. The need to identify the current level of cultural competence that exists among nursing faculty and students has not been widely addressed. The purpose of this study was to describe and examine cultural competence between freshman level nursing students, junior level nursing students, and nursing faculty. Campinha-Bacote's model (2002) The Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services was the theoretical framework for this descriptive, correlational study. Data were collected using The Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professional-Revised (Campinha-Bacote, 2002). Results demonstrated a significant difference in cultural competence scores of the students and faculty at the 0.05 level. As the global community becomes more diverse, the importance of producing culturally competent healthcare workers, including nurses, is a priority. Further research in the area of cultural competence is warranted.