Introduction: The study explored cultural diversity in nursing teams and the internal and external conditions under which cultural differencesrepresent an asset or a liability for these teams.

Methods: A qualitative design with content analysis was employed. In total, 18 interviews were conducted with nurses and assistant nurseswith experience of working in culturally diverse teams in three distinct clinical settings.

Results: Three domains emerged in the study analysis: triggers, team process and contingencies. Each one encompassed a number of themesrelated to culturally diverse nursing team processes, triggers of team processes and context-specific contingencies, which represent the complexityof culturally diverse nursing team functioning.

Discussion/implications: The study suggests how cultural differences in nursing teams can be managed and further explored from within theteam and by individuals leading those teams, taking into account the disablers and enablers of their functioning.