Introduction: Cultural diversity influences the understanding of health, illness, healthcare, and treatment, presenting challenges for healthcare professionals that require an understanding and awareness of cultural differences. Therefore, the development of cultural competence is crucial. The concept of cultural competence in healthcare includes knowledge, skills, and abilities that enable successful work in a diverse cultural environment. Developing these competencies is a prolonged process that requires continuous knowledge enhancement and adaptation of approaches to patients. Purpose: This thesis focuses on exploring the significance of cultural competence in nursing, with an emphasis on the integration of these competencies into the education of nursing professionals. Methods: A descriptive research method was employed, involving a review of domestic and foreign professional and scientific literature. The literature search was conducted using databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, CINAHL, COBISS, from May 2023 to December 2023. Keywords and phrases in the Slovenian language included kulturne kompetence, transkulturna zdravstvena nega, izobraževanje, študenti zdravstvene nege while in English, the terms used were cultural competence, transcultural healthcare, education, and nursing students. Boolean operators OR and AND were utilized in combining keywords. Results: The research results are presented in four thematic sections: forms of education, types of education, working methods, and objectives of education for acquiring cultural competence in nursing professionals. The studies suggest that practical training in clinical settings is most effective for knowledge and awareness development. Various approaches, including education, simulations, e-learning, have shown positive results. Discussion and conclusion: Nursing education on cultural competence is becoming crucial due to the increasing cultural diversity of patients. The literature review highlights the need for the systematic integration of cultural competence topics into nursing education programs, with various educational approaches playing a crucial role in developing cultural competence among healthcare professionals. Studies emphasize the need for accessible training and the comprehensive and systematic inclusion of cultural competence topics in nursing education programs in Slovenia.
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