Cultural Competence In Nursing

Cultural competence in nursing is defined as the incorporation of personal cultural diversity experience, awareness, and sensitivity into everyday practice ( Schim & Dorenbos,2010; Schim, Dorenbos, Benkert, & Miller, 2007). A nurse that is culturally competent will be able to gain the trust, understanding, and utmost respect of a patient that has a different cultural background or holds a different set of beliefs. Cultural competence is important now more than ever as the population grows and becomes more racially diverse. Asians and non white Hispanics are the largest growing minority groups in the United States, and a culturally competent nurse will be able to deliver care to every patient they encounter. Hispanics are less likely than the
majority population to receive or use mental health services.
They are less likely than other groups to receive a prescription for medication ( Kopelowicz, A. J., Marin, H., & Smith, M. W. ,2008, p.205). The lack of access to pharmacological interventions negatively impacts the patient, their families and society as whole. This is evidenced by a prospective study of 124 adult outpatients (20 Hispanics) receiving treatment at mental health clinics in New York who met criteria for major depression, 56% of the Hispanics received a recommendation for antidepressant drugs, compared with 84% of Caucasians (Kopelowicz, A. J., Marin, H., & Smith, M. W. ,2008, p.205 Sirley data et al., 1999). The need for culturally competent nurses is illustrated, in data that reveals that when given access to effective care Hispanics responded to treatment similarly to a differing cultural background (Patel,Wood, & Espino, 2012). Ultimately, the goal of nurses and all health practitioners is to deliver effective care that considers that patients cultural and religious beliefs. Healthcare practitioners may be able to lower the frequency of issues with access to medication when caring for minority groups, specifically Hispanics by ensuring there is not a language barrier, and if so seek a medical
interpreter. Also, a solution when serving patients with issues of accessibility is to refer them to a local community health center and pharmacy that is close to their home. By healthcare practitioners familiarizing themselves with their patients cultural beliefs and values then they can effectively communicate with the patient about their pharmacological needs and if there are any barriers to providing care. As a culturally competent nurse I will be able to effectively care for patients of diverse backgrounds and belief systems by educating myself as to different cultural views and beliefs and also which pharmacological interventions work best with certain populations.