摘要Objective:The importance of culture in nursing lies in its influence on patients'health perceptions,behaviors,and responses to care.Despite the challenges posed by the complexity of studying culture,there remains a critical need to develop cultural competence in nursing.This study investigated how nursing students in rural Indonesia enhance their cultural competence through education and practice.Methods:This study employed a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach.It conducted face-to-face interviews with 32 students across 6 regions,selected purposively.Thematic analysis was employed to evaluate the results.Results:Five themes emerge in this research:perceptions of cultural competence,learning cultural competence in the classroom,practical experience,learning expectations related to cultural competence,and cultural learning barriers.Conclusions:Enhancing cultural competence necessitates enriched curricula,adept clinical mentors,and continual student evaluation.This iterative assessment informs tailored strategies for nurturing cultural proficiency.