Nurses need to be culturally sensitive to provide competent care. The cumulative diversity within the healthcare workforce itself has received much less attention; yet without attending to increasing diversity in both groups, it is doubtful that efforts to improve cultural competence will be successful. One may be aware of many different cultures, but due to one’s biases, he or she will still not provide the appropriate care. In order for healthcare providers to become culturally competent they need to have the desire, skills, awareness and knowledge. Cultural competence among primary care givers is crucial to identify problems and create proper plans of care for the patient.…
The delivery of health care is specific to the needs of each patient as an individual. In achieving this health care professionals must take into consideration the patients cultural and traditional values. Thru the years many people have mixed within cultures; however, most have retained their deep rooted cultural customs, values, and beliefs. In order to deliver quality care to patients and achieve positive clinical outcomes health care professionals must be culturally competent in diverse populations. To become culturally competent health care professionals use an assessment tool known as the “Heritage Assessment Tool”. This tool asks a set of questions that is used to investigate a patient’s cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. By using…
Many health care organizations are now calling for multicultural competent health care professionals. It is suggested cultural competence is as an ethical obligation and cross -cultural skills should be placed on a level of parity with other specialized skills (2009). Within each culture exists an incredible diversity of groups and subgroups (2011). Achieving a base of knowledge for each group creates a challenge.…
In 2003, The National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) has provided a checklist provides guidance for ways to implement cultural competent care by nurses. One of the ways implement cultural care included in the list are for facilities to create a cultural competence task force, organization, committee, or work group. The NCCC stated that the group should be responsible for “policy making, administration, practice/service delivery and consumer levels and reflect the diversity within the organization and the community at large.” Additionally, determine the racially, ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse groups within your geographic location served by the facility. Furthermore, determine which health disparities affect the population that are served by the facility. Next, it suggested to complete self-assessments, network and dialogue with other organizations, and seek resources from federally and privately funded assistance…
According to (Leininger, 1979), Cultural competence is divided in to two categories, the first one is the organizational cultural competence which is according to the National Center of Cultural Competence should hold a defined set of values and principles to be utilized to assess, work and measure the effectiveness of the serviced communities. The second category is the individual cultural competence which referrer to all the knowledge that earned by interaction between the medical multidisciplinary team with the culture that differ from ours, in a health care setting that service multi communities.…
N, R, & Cooper, L, A. (2005). Cultural competence: A systematic review of health care provider educational interventions. http://www.getceusnow.com/portal/file/culturalcompetencyanddiversity.htm…
The importance of cultural competency when working with diverse populations in health care can affect a patients or clients overall health in a positive or negative way and also affect reputation of the doctor and the staff. In the article Cultural Competency: Values, Traditions and Effective Practices, by Carol Brannon she defines Cultural competency, as “the ability to understand and respond effectively to the cultural and linguistic needs of patients or clients”(p.2). Brannon also explains how the US is more of a “salad bowl” comparing it’s diversity to the unique ingredients of a salad rather than a “melting pot”, which demonstrates how people have different needs and requisite different kinds of treatment according to their cultures, beliefs, values, habits, etc. Being able to communicate in a positive manner and connect with patients can lead to healthier lifestyles, promote more positive attitudes towards diversity and develop policies that can benefit everyone.…
Being culturally competent is essential in caring for the lives of others. As a nurse you will be caring for individuals and families who may or may not have the same beliefs and values and yourself. Despite the differences the nurse must be able to ask the appropriate questions, seek out tools that are going to help the client and family understand the importance of their care, and feel comfortable when giving care to others whose values and beliefs are different.…
Larios, S. E., Wright, S., Jernstrom, A., Lebron, D., & Sorensen, J. L. (2011). Evidence-based…
The presence of cultural competence in the health care system and what it means for the health of our diverse population, is something that should be part of the schooling for healthcare providers. Cultural Competence in the health care system is described as the ability to tend to the needs of patients through understanding their linguistic and cultural differences. Our vast, diverse population in the United States makes cultural competence in health care imperative. Without it, we cannot provide other cultures with the effective and comforting health care they need and deserve. In order for culturally diverse people to receive the proper health care they need, health care practitioners must be well versed in other cultures. Their ability…
Cultural competency is the abilities, knowledge and skills of providers and health care organizations to provide effective healthcare services to meet the social, cultural and linguistic needs of patients with a unique cultural background (Purnell, & Paulanka, 2013). Culturally competent health care improves the quality of care and prevents racial and ethnic health care disparities.…
As America’s cultural landscape changes, now more than ever, standards of cultural competency and sensitivity are necessary skills for everyone. Cultural competency is the practice of using knowledge of different cultures to enhance interactions with whomever you meet, or in the healthcare field, to treat effectively a multitude of cultures with appropriate sensitivity. This skill will ensure that you give the best quality care to the many cultures making up the United States and in so doing perpetuate and maintain our nation’s commitment to having equal rights and access for all who live here.…
Cultural competence in health care is the ability of providers and health care systems to integrate and deliver highest quality of care regardless of race and culture background. Individual values about health are shaped by their race and socioeconomic status. In order to improve patient and provider interactions they should recruit minority staff, training on cultural awareness, and knowledge about different cultures in their geographic area. These changes will take time but it will build patient trust with their provider and promote high quality health care.…
Cultural competence in health care combines the beliefs of patient centered care with an understanding of the social and cultural influences that affect the quality of medical services and treatment. With the ever increasing diversity of the population of the United States and strong evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care, it is critically important that health care professionals are educated specifically to address issues of culture in an effective manner. Organizations such as the National Academies of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine and the American Medical Association have recognized this.” (OMH - Ofiice of Minority Health)…
The African American community has a cultural ethic of care that centers around their children and older adults, that at times is stressful as they struggle to nurture their youth and revere their older loved ones (Wimberly, 1997) while attempting to care for your own. Studies have shown that African Americans prefer to rely on family and fictive kin (nonrelatives), and avoid using formal eldercare service providers due to distrust of their services (Apesoa-Varano et al., 2015), and their perceptions of racism (Lampley-Dallas, Mold, & Flori, 2005). Reinhard, Levine, and Samis (2012) found that African American, Asian American and Hispanic communities experience a higher number of older loved ones with enduring illnesses, shorter hospital stays, and limited health care services, which lead to more complications and prevalence of care provided by informal elder caregivers. In addition, research shows there is a history of health and socioeconomic disparities in African American, Hispanic and Native American communities, (Braun & LaCounte, 2014; Wallace, 2015) with only Asian Americans being the exception within the non-white racial…