Global Health Competency of Nursing Personnel: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction As global health issues become more important, nursing education is undergoing change to reflect the changing global health environment and new knowledge. Nurses are required to be able to understand and interact with patients of diverse cultural backgrounds and characteristics and have relevant global health competencies. Objectives The aims of this study were to determine the GHC status of nurses and to analyze the association between GHC and nurse characteristics. Methods This study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected from 473 nurses to collect information about participants’ GHC and general characteristics, including gender, age, nursing experience (years), experience of caring for foreign patients, English communication skills, learning experience in global health, and global preparedness. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between GHC and nurse characteristics. Results The mean GHC score of nurses was 2.21 out of 4. “Nursing practice in globalization” was the most important global health competency, while “resource management in globalization” was the one that was most necessary. In addition, “Resource management in globalization” was the highest priority for global health competency. Global preparedness ( β = .25, p < .001) and the perceived necessity of GHC in nursing practice ( β = .28, p < .001) were statistically significant factors influencing the global health competency of nurses. Conclusion Based on the relationship identified between GHC and the characteristics of nurses, it is essential to develop an education program for enhancing global preparedness and perception of the necessity of GHC.