The Moderating Role of Cultural Intelligence in the Relationship Between the Caring Culture and Caring Behaviours of Nurses in Internal Medicine Clinical

AIM: This study aimed to examine the moderator role of cultural intelligence in the relationship between the caring culture and caring behaviours of nurses. BACKGROUND: Nurses working in internal medicine units usually care for patients with chronic diseases. The caring culture of nurses and the development of cultural intelligence are extremely important because of the difficulties in the chronic disease process. DESIGN: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study. METHODS: The study was conducted with 306 nurses between July 10, 2024, and March 10, 2025. Data were collected using a personal information form, the caring behaviours inventory-24, the caring culture scale, and the cultural intelligence scale. The data were analysed with IBM SPSS vn. 23 and PROCESS vn4.2 by Andrew F. Hayes, model 1 software. STROBE was used in the reporting of results. RESULTS: Caring behaviour (115.07 ± 24.2), caring culture (77.11 ± 14.18), and cultural intelligence (101.17 ± 22.09) points of nurses were at a moderate level. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between caring culture and caring behaviour (r = 0.594, p < 0.001), between cultural intelligence and caring behaviour (r = 0.351, p < 0.001), and between caring culture and cultural intelligence (r = 0.460, p < 0.001). Cultural intelligence was not found to have a moderator role in the relationship between caring culture and caring behaviour (β1 = 0.08, p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: A high level of cultural intelligence may contribute to increasing the perceptions of caring culture and caring behaviours of nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY, HEALTH POLICY, AND/OR SOCIAL POLICY: To further improve nurses' perception of the culture of care, in-house cultural care training should be organized. Nurses should be encouraged and rewarded for examples of good cultural practices. Communication between employees should be strengthened, and effective communication seminars should be organized. Cultural committees should be established for work welfare. Managers should care about nurses, pay attention to their working hours and shifts, and increase their job satisfaction.