{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,21]],"date-time":"2026-05-21T16:06:33Z","timestamp":1779379593891,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]],"date-time":"2026-04-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776902400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Cultural competence is essential in nursing, enabling the delivery of ethical, patient-centered, and respectful care that respects diverse cultural backgrounds in an increasingly diverse healthcare setting. Improving cultural competence can substantially reduce stereotyping, time pressure, and distress among nurses. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between cultural competence and loneliness among nurses working at a university medical city in Saudi Arabia and to identify associated demographic and psychological factors. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 184 nurses. Data were collected via an online questionnaire that included the Cultural Capacity Scale, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 between April and May 2024. Descriptive statistics, Spearman\u2019s correlation, and multiple linear regression were used in the data analysis. Result: Findings indicate high cultural competence (mean score: 78.82) but moderate loneliness (mean score: 11.9). Notably, a strong negative correlation exists between cultural competence and feelings of loneliness (r = \u22120.777) and anxiety\/depression (r = \u22120.818), suggesting that increased cultural competence is associated with lower loneliness and mental health issues. Conclusions: Both cultural knowledge and sensitivity emerged as significant predictors of lower anxiety and depression levels. These findings highlight the association between cultural competence and reduced loneliness and psychological distress among nurses, suggesting the need for targeted training interventions to improve nurses\u2019 well-being and the quality of patient-centered care in culturally diverse healthcare settings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16050631","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T11:40:12Z","timestamp":1777981212000},"page":"631","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Cultural Competence and Loneliness: Unveiling Hidden Connections Among Saudi Nurses"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6050-2841","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rasha Mohammed","family":"Hussien","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Community, Psychiatric, and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Qassim University, Buraydah 52571, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ghida Saleh","family":"Algeffari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Specialized Surgical Unit, Outpatient Department, Nursing Division, Qassim University, Medical City, Buraidah 51411, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3437-3764","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mahmoud Abdelwahab","family":"Khedr","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21526, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8582-4708","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wafa Hamad","family":"Almegewly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Community and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.26650\/FNJN18002","article-title":"Intercultural sensitivity levels and cultural difference perceptions of physicians and nurses","volume":"28","author":"Aksoy","year":"2020","journal-title":"Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.31674\/mjn.2020.v11i04.009","article-title":"Review of culture issues and challenges affecting nursing practice in Saudi Arabia","volume":"11","author":"Albougami","year":"2020","journal-title":"The Malaysian Journal of Nursing (MJN)"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"933","article-title":"Cultural competence and perception of patient-centered care among non-Muslim expatriate nurses in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study","volume":"13","author":"Albougami","year":"2019","journal-title":"Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"317","DOI":"10.1111\/nin.12099","article-title":"Almutairi\u2019s critical cultural competence model for a multicultural healthcare environment","volume":"22","author":"Almutairi","year":"2015a","journal-title":"Nursing Inquiry"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1177\/1043659614523992","article-title":"Understanding cultural competence in a multicultural nursing workforce: Registered nurses\u2019 experience in Saudi Arabia","volume":"26","author":"Almutairi","year":"2015b","journal-title":"Journal of Transcultural Nursing: Official Journal of the Transcultural Nursing Society"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111654","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2024.111654","article-title":"Confirmatory validation of the patient health questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) for gastrointestinal disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional survey","volume":"180","author":"Apputhurai","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Psychosomatic Research"},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"55","article-title":"Cultural competence, nursing care, and its associated factors among nurses in northern Ethiopia: A mixed-method study design","volume":"11","author":"Berie","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nursing: Research and Reviews"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brodowicz-Kr\u00f3l, M., Kaczoruk, M., Kaczor-Szkodny, P., and Zarzycka, D. 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