Cultural Self Assessment In Nursing

This week’s discussion post will define cultural self-assessment and an explanation of why it is important in our nursing practice. It will also describe the five steps in the process for delivering culturally congruent nursing care and how it is applied in my own practice. I will also discuss definitions and categories of cultural competence.
As nurses, we are exposed to many different types of culture when providing care for our patients and families. To provide such care, one must complete a cultural self-assessment. A cultural self-assessment enables nurses to gain insight into our own unconscious cultural attitudes (Andrews & Boyle, 2016). It allows us to identify our biases, stereotypes, and prejudices. Once the self-assessment is completed,
An example of this would be believing that a drug addict will never become clean. I know this is not true but is a preconceived notion from how I was raised. Ethnocentrism is the human tendency to view one’s own group as being superior to all other groups (Andrews & Boyle, 2016). My experience with this was working with an arrogant physician who refused to acknowledge a nurse’s assessment regarding a patient’s care. Cultural imposition is when a person or group imposes their values, beliefs, and practices onto others (Andrews & Boyle, 2016). A scenario that comes to mind in this situation is Jehovah Witnesses who do not accept blood or blood products. They believe the Old and New testaments tell them to abstain from receiving blood (Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 2016). Prejudice is an inaccurate perception of other based on ethnicity, race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, social class, size, disability, religion or language (Andrews & Boyle, 2016). This tends to accompany discrimination which is treating people differently from others or groups (Andrews & Boyle, 2016). Prejudices and discrimination can occur when indigent patients come to the emergency room for treatment. It is automatically assumed their treatment will not be paid for. Cultural congruence is a process of effective interaction between the patient and caregiver (Schim & Doorenbos, 2010). This occurs when the nurse practices professionally and the client is treated as a