The relationship between cultural sensitivity and perceived stress among nurses working with foreign patients

Aim and objectives. To determine the relationship between cultural sensitivity and perceived stress of nurses working at Kilis State Hospital. Background. As foreigners live in and visit Turkey for various reasons, it is essential to provide culturally appropriate healthcare. Design. Descriptive and cross-sectional design. Methods. This study was implemented at the State Hospital in Kilis on the southeast border of Turkey, between June-July 2014. The study sample consisted of 120 nurses. Data collection tools included a questionnaire about the socio-demographic and professional characteristics of participants, the Chen and Starosta's Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. Results. The average score for nurse cultural sensitivity was 84.32 (SD, 11.40) and the average score for perceived stress was 27.97 (SD, 7.32), corresponding to a medium level. We identified negative correlation between cultural sensitivity and perceived stress. Conclusions. Nurses working at Kilis State Hospital have a medium level of cultural sensitivity and perceived stress, and cultural sensitivity tended to be affected by perceived stress. Relevance to clinical practice. This study suggests that training programmes for cultural sensitivity and stress management should be available for nurses. Furthermore, patient care plans should be adapted to consider different cultural backgrounds of patients. These findings should be considered when designing nurses' education and continuing education programmes.