Introduction:

Nurses constitute the largest global healthcare workforce. In Bogotá, the convergence of culturally diverse populations presents a challenge for nursing professionals, who require adequate levels of cultural competence (CC) and compassion (CS) to effectively recognize, understand, and alleviate suffering through culturally responsive and compassionate care.

Objective:

To examine the relationship between cultural competence and compassion among nurses working in three hospitals in Bogotá.

Methodology:

A cross-sectional comparative descriptive study was conducted with 93 nurses from three hospitals in Bogotá. Participants provided informed consent and completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Cultural Competence Assessment Scale, and the Spanish version of the Compassion Scale. Data were analyzed through descriptive and comparative statistical methods, according to variable type.

Results:

78.5% of participants were women; 63.4% exhibited a moderate level of CC, and 54.8% demonstrated a moderate level of CS. The chi-square test revealed a positive correlation between CC and CS (r = 0.44, p < 0.001), which indicates that higher cultural competence is associated with greater compassion.

Conclusion:

The findings underscore the importance of strengthening educational programs in undergraduate nursing curricula and continuing professional development to equip nurses with the competencies necessary for culturally responsive and compassionate care in diverse healthcare settings.

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