Interprofessional skills as a predictor of culturally congruent practice behaviors.

Introduction: Evidence suggests that the development and implementation of interprofessional skills can positively impact culturally congruent practice among providers and patients, improving access and quality of care. Exploring the relationship between interprofessional skills and culturally congruent practice within health profession education can inform curricular efforts that better prepare the emerging workforce to provide accessible, high-quality care.

Method: This study examined if interprofessional skills predict culturally congruent practice behaviors in an interprofessional health care simulation with Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Nursing students (N = 79). Simple linear regressions were conducted to evaluate whether interprofessional skills, across five domains (team structure, leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication) in the Performance Assessment Communication and Teamwork, significantly predicted culturally congruent practice behaviors, overall and across three subscales (culturally specific care; cultural assessment; and culturally sensitive and professionally appropriate attitudes, values, and beliefs), in the Cultural Competence Clinical Evaluation Tool-Student Version.

Results: Among the sample, the interprofessional skill domains of leadership, situation monitoring, and communication predicted culturally congruent practice behaviors overall. Additionally, results indicated that communication predicted culturally specific care; team structure, leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication predicted cultural assessment; and communication, situation monitoring, and leadership predicted culturally sensitive and professionally appropriate attitudes, values, and beliefs.

Discussion: Opportunities to learn and practice interprofessional skills within health profession curricula may predict Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Nursing students' culturally congruent practice behaviors; implications and limitations are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).