Journal of cultural diversity
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Reported low levels of cultural competence among baccalaureate nursing students, as well as professional nurses, have raised questions about nursing faculty's readiness to prepare culturally competent graduates. This study examined cultural competence among faculty of baccalaureate nursing programs in Louisiana. Using a five-point Likert-type scale, the respondents were asked to express their level of agreement with statements addressing the components of cultural competence. ⋯ When the overall cultural competence index was regressed on the index of each subscale, the cultural knowledge index and the cultural encounter index significantly explained 87% of the variance in the model. These findings suggest that faculty should be encouraged to attend continuing education programs on cultural competence to improve their knowledge in this area. This continuing education, coupled with more local and/or international cross-cultural encounters should significantly improve the overall cultural competence of the respondents.