Midwives' Intercultural Effectiveness Levels and Influencing Factors.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Due to globalization, countries around the world are starting to notice diversity in their populations. It is crucial that midwives be able to communicate effectively with women from a variety of cultures to provide them with culturally effective health care. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 394 midwives who work in seven different regions of Türkiye. Data on the intercultural effectiveness and intercultural communication competence of midwives were collected. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, analysis of variance, and regression analysis. RESULTS: Midwives' intercultural effectiveness was influenced by their foreign language proficiency, experiences abroad, having friends from different cultures, following social media platforms in different languages and cultures, providing care to individuals from diverse cultures, and their willingness to do so. DISCUSSION: Findings suggest that exposure to different cultures enhances the level of intercultural effectiveness. Consequently, it is recommended to make plans to support midwives to have positive experiences with different cultures.