Working with new partners to increase the cultural competence of nurses in Europe

Growing immigration to Europe has increased multiculturalism in Finland and other European countries. In nursing, this increases the need to develop cultural competence in nursing education. A new international project develops teaching methods and materials for the use of nursing education.

The department of nursing at Turku University of Applied Sciences has started to work with new project partners: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania. A new EU-funded capacity building project “Supporting development of TransCultural Competence for healthcare professionals in the Western Balkans (TCCWB)” was launched spring 2024.

The main objective of the project is to develop and innovate teaching methods and materials which will be integrated into nursing education to increase transcultural competencies of nurses and nursing students. The aim is to increase the cultural skills of the health care workforce in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania. In Western Balkans there is a great need for cultural competence due to the large and increasing multicultural population.

Cultural competence refers to the ability to understand, appreciate and act effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. It includes awareness of one’s own culture, respect for other cultures and intercultural communication skills. (National Centre for Cultural Competence 2022.) Therefore, the learning methods used must also focus on knowledge, attitudes and skills. In this project, for example e-learning and simulation will be used to learn interaction and other skills.

Our project partners have provided us with information on how multicultural their populations are.

Cultural diversity in partner universities in Albania

Albania is a country used by migrants from African and Asian countries to enter the EU mostly through the border with Greece and Italy. There is also another popular route traveling from Albania to the United Kingdom. Exact numbers of illegal migrants passing through Albania are not available, but their Ministry of Internal Affairs estimates 2017-2020 that about 38 000 illegal migrants, have entered Albania.

We have two project partners from Albania; University of Shkodra and University of Gjirokaster. Shkodra is the northernmost city in Albania. The city of Shkodra is home to a diverse religious population, with two main religious groups: Muslims and Catholics. Additionally, there are significant Orthodox and Bektashi communities. The city of Shkodra is also home to two distinct communities: the Roma and Egyptian people groups.

The southernmost region of Albania, called Gjirokaster is only 30 km distant from the Greek border. Therefore, it is highly exposed to cultural differences in health service. Large annual number of illegal migrants that pass-through Albania need the emergency services in the region of Gjirokaster.

Cultural diversity in partner universities in Bosnia-Herzegovina

We have five project partners from Bosnia-Herzegovina; University of Zenica, University of East Sarajevo, University of Mostar, Fondacija FAMI and Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures (SMOC).

Bosnia and Herzegovina has seen over 80,000 migrants passing through so far. When it comes to the healthcare system, cultural differences often limit the provision of adequate healthcare. Migrants typically stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina for about a month on average.

These migrants, coming from countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, often endure harsh conditions along the way, with their health frequently compromised by poor hygiene, lack of food and water, and injuries sustained during their journey, so they are often compelled to seek assistance in healthcare institutions.

Turku UAS benefits from this project

Our role in this project is mainly to develop evaluation tools and evaluate the materials, contents and workshops developed. Project will benefit us by providing increased competence on transcultural nursing.

We will gain new knowledge and experience of working with new partners. We can use the developed materials, tools and best practices in teaching at bachelor and master level.

This article is part of the publications of the Developing Better Health Care in the Hybrid World research group.

 

Authors

Maija Valta, Senior Lecturer, MNSc, RN
Turku UAS, Better Health research group

Minna Nurminen, Lecturer, MNSc, RN
Turku UAS, Better Health research group

Saara Laaksonen, Senior Lecturer, MNSc, RN
Turku UAS, Better Health research group