The Purnell Model for Cultural Competence is also widely utilized in both baccalaureate nursing education and clinical practice. This model depicts cultural competence as a continuum that begins with a state of unconscious incompetence eventually leading to unconscious competence. Purnell implies that nurses and medical professionals initially exhibit unconscious incompetence as they fail to recognize the need and value of developing cultural competence as a necessary skill in the healthcare world. To reach the end goal of unconscious competence, BSN students must appreciate the practicality of culturally competent patient care. Purnell’s theory suggests that baccalaureate nurses and other healthcare providers can ultimately acquire unconscious
