The relationship between intercultural effectiveness and intercultural awareness and xenophobia among undergraduate nursing and vocational schools of health services students: A descriptive study

Background: Students who will become health professionals should be educated according to universal standards of providing foreign patients with culturally satisfying health care, free from discrimination. Aim: This study aims to identify the relationship of intercultural effectiveness and awareness with xenophobia in undergraduate nursing students and vocational schools of health services students. Method: This descriptive study was conducted with undergraduate nursing students (N= 257) and vocational schools of health services students (N = 341) in a region with a high refugee population in Turkey. Data were collected through the "Intercultural Awareness Scale," the "Intercultural Effectiveness Scale," and the "Xeno-phobia Scale." Results: Of all the participants, 70.1% were females, and the mean age was 20.70 +/- 2.64 years; 57% of the students were from the vocational school students, and 43% from the undergraduate nursing program. Female students had significantly higher scores in intercultural effectiveness, behavioral flexibility, xenophobia (p = 0.036, p = 0.041, p = 0.001, respectively), interaction relaxation and interactant respect (p < 0.001, p < 0.001), while male students had significantly higher intercultural awareness (p < 0.001). The median intercultural effectiveness score of the students living in the rural area was low (p = 0.044), and the median xenophobia score of the students who lived abroad was significantly lower (p = 0.032). There was a negative correlation between the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale total and Intercultural Awareness and Xenophobia Scale total mean scores (r =-0.085, r = 0.182), and there was a weak, positive correlation between the Intercultural Awareness Scale total mean scores and the Xenophobia Scale mean scores (r = 0.113). Conclusion: Intercultural sensitivity is considered to be improved by including course content in the curriculum to improve students' intercultural effectiveness and awareness levels and decrease their xenophobic prejudices.