Background. There is limited literature available identifying and describing the instruments that measure cultural competence in nursing students and nursing professionals. Design. An integrative review was undertaken to identify the characteristics common to these instruments, examine their psychometric properties, and identify the concepts these instruments are designed to measure. Method. There were eleven instruments identified that measure cultural competence in nursing. Of these eleven instruments, four had been thoroughly tested in either initial development or in subsequent testing, with developers providing extensive details of the testing. Results. The current literature identifies that the instruments to assess cultural competence in nurses and nursing students are self-administered and based on individuals' perceptions. The instruments are commonly utilized to test the effectiveness of educational programs designed to increase cultural competence. Conclusions. The reviewed instruments measure nurses' self-perceptions or self-reported level of cultural competence but offer no objective measure of culturally competent care from a patient's perspective which can be problematic. Comparison of instruments reveals that they are based on a variety of conceptual frameworks and that multiple factors should be considered when deciding which instrument to use.

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As more nursing students are employed, it is essential that schools of nursing examine the relationship between student employment and academic performance. In this study, we found a statistically significant negative relationship between students who work at least 16 hours a week and academic performance, especially in high-attrition courses. Current practices in nursing education must be assessed to ensure that students who must work have every opportunity to succeed.

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A descriptive-correlational design was used to explore the relationship between attendance and course grade in a prenursing course. Findings revealed that attendance was positively associated with final course grades (r443 = 0.54, P < .001). Traditional students attended a significantly higher percentage of classes than their nontraditional counterparts. These findings support the long-held belief by nursing faculty that attendance positively impacts course outcomes.