Variables Affecting the Intercultural Communication Skills of Nursing Students

간호대학생의 문화 간 의사소통 능력에 미치는 영향변인

Purpose: This study attempted to determine multicultural awareness, empathy and intercultural skill communication of nursing students and to identify the variables that influence intercultural communication skills. Methods: The subjects were 238 nursing students. The research subjects were the students in the third and fourth grade of the Department of Nursing of five four-year universities located in D city, A city and Y city in Gyeongbuk region. Data were collected from March 11 to 22, 2013 by using self-report questionnaires. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN. Ver. 18.0 programs. Results: The affecting variables of intercultural communication skill were multicultural awareness (${\beta}=.47$), empathy (${\beta}=.38$), other foreign languages (${\beta}=.16$) and multicultural interests (${\beta}=.09$). These variables accounted for 67.0% of the affecting intercultural communication skill. Conclusion: Based on these findings, more systematic multicultural education that can be used for multicultural subjects is needed to be conducted at nursing schools. In particular, programs considering the subjects who do not have neither foreign friends around them nor experience of staying abroad need to be developed.