Factors influencing multicultural acceptance of Korean nursing students

BACKGROUND: South Korea has already become a multicultural society due to immigration, marriage, and employment of foreigners, and the use of medical institutions by foreigners is increasing. In order to establish a therapeutic rapport relationship with foreigners, it is necessary to study multicultural acceptance. This study aimed to examine and identify the factors influencing the degree of multicultural acceptance of Korean nursing students. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional descriptive design. Study participants included 147 nursing students at University in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Data included demographics, multicultural acceptance, cultural empathy, and multicultural attitude. Data were collected from March to June 2021. Data was analyzed using linear regression model in SPSS PC + version 23.0 statistical software program. RESULTS: The adjusted R-squared representing the explanatory power of the model was 72.5%. The strongest predictor was cultural empathy (β = 0.55, P < 0.001), followed by multicultural attitude (β = 0.26, P = 0.001), residential area where they lived for the past 5 years (β = 0.19, P = 0.001), accessibility to multicultural internet and media (β = 0.17, P = 0.003), whether they have foreign friends (β = 0.16, P = 0.003), and multicultural education experience (β = 0.02, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that to improve the degree of multicultural acceptance of Korean nursing students, their cultural empathy and multicultural attitude should be strengthened. Nurses need to pay attention the influencing factors to improve the multicultural acceptance of Korean nursing students.