Assessing nursing students' knowledge, comfort, and cultural competence toward Latino patients in the Southeastern United States

As the Latino population continues to rapidly grow throughout the United States, cultural competence training for public health and nursing students has become a priority at the baccalaureate level. It has been shown that increasing cultural competency among health care providers is associated with higher quality of care and reduction of racial inequalities in health outcomes. This study explores 260 undergraduate nursing students’ attitudes and beliefs toward Latino patients and their perceived readiness to provide care to Latino patients. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at four major nursing schools in the Southeastern states, the region that has seen the highest growth rate of the Latino population. Results from multivariable regression suggest social interaction with Latinos is a statistically significant predictor of better Latino knowledge (p<.01), cultural competence (p<.01), and comfort with Latino patients (p<.01). Having visited a Spanish-speaking country is positively associated with an increase in cultural competence (p<.05), and ever lived in a Spanish-speaking country positively associated with better Latino knowledge (p<.01) and cultural competence (p<.01), respectively. Having completed a population health class is significant for cancer skills with Latinos (p<.05). And having some Spanish proficiency increased cultural competency (p<.05), but not the other outcomes of interest.  Our findings suggest that “dosage” matters. Nursing education programs may want to consider recruiting students with previous Latino experience or exposure such as study abroad, language proficiency, or living in a Spanish-speaking country rather than only attempting to incorporate these initiatives within training programs.