Background & Aims: The concept of cultural competence is defined as the ability to interact effectively with people from different cultures. Achieving cultural competence is an important issue in educating students however, no study was found in the literature regarding the cultural competence among nursing students in Iran. The current study aimed to determine the cultural competence of senior nursing students in north-west Iran. Material & Methods: This descriptive study is based on a model of cultural competence. A total of 212 senior nursing students were assessed using a cultural competence questionnaire. These students included all senior nursing students of Tabriz, Maragheh, Urmia, Khoy, and Ardabil Universities of Medical Sciences, with respect to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data were analyzed using SPSS-13 software program. Results: The total cultural competence mean score was 73.69±12.1. According to the guidelines of the scale used to determine the level of cultural competence among nursing students, components of cultural incompetence, awareness, competence, and proficiency are classified under “cultural awareness” level. Conclusion: Using specific active learning methods such as simulation seems appropriate to enable nursing students to develop their level of cultural competence.  

Keywords: Cultural Competence, cultural knowledge, cultural awareness, cultural skill, cultural encounters, cultural desire, nursing student

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