CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND DIVERSITY IN NURSING PRACTICE: ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE ON TEAMWORK, COMMUNICATION, AND PATIENT OUTCOMES

The increasing cultural diversity in healthcare in European countries, including Austria, has highlighted the need to enhance nurses’ cultural competence. Assessing cultural competence and identifying relevant influencing factors can help to improve culturally competent care. The aim of this study was to assess Cultural Competency and Diversity in Nursing Practice: Assessing the Influence on Teamwork, Communication, and Patient Outcomes. A cross-sectional design was used. Data collection was carried out in April 2025 with nurses and nursing students in the last year of their studies who were working in two teaching hospitals in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Descriptive analysis was applied to display the general characteristics of the study participants and the levels of their overall cultural competence. The study revealed that 51 respondents representing 18.3% were between 20 – 30years, 124 respondents corresponding to 41.3 % were between 31–40 years, 103 respondents representing 34.4% were between 41 – 50 years while 18 (6%) were between 51 years and above. The study further revealed that the nurses’ cultural competence level was moderate to high (mean = 3.89; SD = .48). Cultural Competency and Diversity in Nursing Practice influences teamwork, communication and patient’s outcome. The study concludes that providing culturally competent healthcare services for culturally diverse patients is essential for all healthcare professionals, and especially for nurses who spend the most time with patients. The study therefore recommends that effective interventions, such as educational training need to be implemented in order to deliver culturally competent care and potentially reduce disparities in healthcare and improve patient outcomes