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Quality health care is unevenly distributed in the U.S. A 2019 study, published in JAMA Network Open, noted that data collected from more than 5.4 million people showed a lack of progress in eliminating health inequities across the country. According to the study, “measures of health equity and health justice declined over time, and income disparities worsened.” Achieving health care equality requires that nurses and other health care workers understand and appreciate their patients’ cultural backgrounds, a skill they can learn in an online BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. As society becomes more diverse and multicultural, health care professionals need an education focused on understanding why cultural competence is important in health care. Nursing leaders such as nurse practitioners respond to inequalities in the provision of health care services by redoubling their efforts to build healthy communities for everyone, regardless of cultural background or economic status. They strive to instill culturally competent health care as a way to make services more accessible to underserved communities and improve health outcomes for all their patients. Defining Cultural CompetenceThe American Hospital Association (AHA) defines a culturally competent health care system as one that “acknowledges the importance of culture, incorporates the assessment of cross-cultural relations, recognizes the potential impact of cultural differences, expands cultural knowledge, and adapts services to meet culturally unique needs.” But why is cultural competence important in health care? The goal of cultural competence in health care settings is to reduce racial, economic, ethnic, and social disparities when meeting a community’s health care needs. Developing a culturally competent health care environment starts with awareness of one’s own cultural background and experiences and the need to limit their influence when interacting with people from other cultures and with different life experiences. Beyond this starting point, cultural competence requires an understanding of and respect for other cultures. It also requires responding to patients in ways that are consistent with their cultural practices. Focusing on Patients’ Social, Cultural, and Linguistic NeedsThe American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics states that nurses must “practice with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.” The only way to treat all patients with compassion and dignity is by understanding their cultures and responding appropriately to their wishes and desires. Unfortunately, this often does not happen in practice. The following three examples demonstrate how a lack of cultural understanding adds to a patient’s stress: ● A Native American man tells emergency room staff he is following the “old ways” of dying and asks that his family be around him. Instead, he is transferred to an intensive care unit (ICU) hundreds of miles away for the extensive treatment he did not want, and his family cannot join him. He dies two weeks later, after being resuscitated twice, and his wife is the only family member with him. Why Nurses Need to Consider Culture and EthnicityPublic health efforts have expanded beyond clean air, clean water, and safe foods to include the community itself: housing, employment, health care access, availability of healthy foods, sanitation, and safety. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has identified “social determinants” as primary contributors to the unequal distribution of quality health care services. As leaders in the field of public health, nurses need to consider the cultural and social background of their patients to ensure that they are providing them with optimal care. Cultural Competence Beyond PatientsAdvanced practice nurses are key to integrating cultural competence in health care settings. As nurse leaders, advanced practice nurses have a commitment to putting cultural competence principles into practice, and that sets the tone for others in various nursing departments. The leadership extends beyond the health care environment to the community through public health outreach activities to improve health care access for vulnerable cultural groups. Applying Cultural Competence in Health Care AdministrationCultural competence is important in health care for a variety of reasons. Implementing cultural competence in an organization can take place through the following steps: ● Use microtargeting surveys of the community to collect demographic information, and analyze the results to identify the cultural, social, and linguistic needs of the hospital’s patients. Successful staff education programs share four characteristics: How Hospitals Can Promote Healthy Practices in Diverse CommunitiesProviding culturally competent health care requires frequent and consistent outreach to the community. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a guide to help hospitals establish partnerships with individuals, groups, and organizations to promote healthy lifestyles. The outreach helps identify ways the hospital can meet the community’s health care needs. To ensure that all vulnerable populations in the community are included in the outreach, it is important to identify nontraditional partners in government, educational institutions, businesses, nonprofit organizations, religions, and funding agencies. The CDC recommends first defining the hospital’s community, its characteristics, and the social and cultural ties that link people and groups. Benefits of Promoting Cultural Competence in Health CareThose who wonder, why is cultural competence important in health care, and why does it matter? are typically individuals who have not experienced the negative impacts of health inequality. Those who have interacted with the health care field and have not experienced health justice or health equity know firsthand how a lack of medical care can negatively affect a person’s quality of life. One of the benefits of promoting cultural competence in health care is that when more people are aware of problems in the system, positive changes can be made. The AHA discusses how collecting data about the races, ethnicities, and language preferences of patients allows organizations to improve their cultural competence and provide more efficient patient care. By doing this, organizations can make diversity a priority in their facilities. They can properly train their nurses and staff to interact with patients, and they can get the community involved. Another benefit of incorporating cultural competence in health care is that organizations can focus on providing new disease management and prevention programs based on the patients they serve. Development of Leadership Skills in Cultural CompetenceAdvanced practice nurses need to have strong leadership skills to promote and encourage culturally competent health care. They also need acumen in other core competencies, such as communication and problem-solving. Regis College’s BSN to DNP program teaches advanced practice nurses how to sharpen their ability to integrate cultural competence into their everyday work and demonstrate by example the importance of promoting equality in the provision of quality health care. To fully demonstrate that they understand the importance of cultural competence in health care, nurses should develop certain leadership skills. Nurse leaders can study the five-component model for delivering culturally competent care developed by Joseph Campinha-Bacote and Cora Munoz in 2001.
Regis College’s BSN to DNP program prepares students to become leaders in health care via a curriculum that includes the following courses: Concepts in Nursing Leadership; Health Promotion – Disease Prevention; Regulatory Issues: Nurse Leadership; and Health Policy, Politics, and Perspectives. Students choose one of six concentrations: Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Family, Psychiatric Mental Health, Adult Gerontology., or Adult Gerontology – Acute Care. The Importance of Communication and Problem-Solving SkillsThe importance of nursing leaders communicating their commitment to creating a culturally competent health care environment cannot be emphasized enough. The importance of communication extends to successful mediation when problems related to cultural misunderstandings arise. Researchers have found that role-modeling helps nursing leaders promote cultural competence. However, the context of exchanges between nurses and patients, as well as individual characteristics of nurses, demonstrates the importance of communication and relationship building. Nurses’ problem-solving skills are enhanced when they understand the social, economic, and cultural backgrounds of their patients because many problems in health care settings can be traced back to miscommunication or misunderstandings between patients and nursing staff. They should be able to demonstrate firsthand knowledge regarding how and why cultural competence is important in health care. How Advanced Practice Nurses Can Gain Essential Cultural SkillsAddressing the health care needs of underserved communities requires that nurses recognize and adapt to the social, ethnic, and linguistic needs of the people in these communities. The ANA specifies that RNs at all education levels should demonstrate certain competencies. For example, all RNs should have the following competencies: ● “Participates in lifelong learning to understand the cultural preferences, worldview, choices, and decision-making processes of diverse consumers.” Promoting Cultural Competence in Health CareAdvanced practice nurses with strong leadership and communication skills are needed to successfully implement cultural competence in health care settings. Nursing professionals interested in taking a lead role in the drive to bring health care equality to vulnerable communities will find Regis College’s BSN to DNP program teaches the skills required to plan, implement, and maintain culturally competent health care programs. Learn more about how the online BSN to DNP degree program lays the foundation for health care leaders working to help others understand why cultural competence is important in health care settings. Recommended
Readings Sources: Why is it important for healthcare workers to be aware of various cultures?Besides reducing medical errors, enhancing data collection and improving preventive care among patients, Becker's Hospital Review suggests culturally aware healthcare builds mutual respect and understanding that increases patient trust, promotes more inclusive health responsibilities and expands patient inclusion on ...
Why is it important to be aware of the patient's cultural differences?Culture influences patients' responses to illness and treatment. In our multicultural society, different customs can lead to confusion and misunderstanding, which erode trust and patient adherence.
Why is it important to have awareness of our own culture and values it is important to have awareness of our own culture and values because?Being Culturally Aware Makes Us Global Citizens
By being culturally aware, you can recognise and appreciate other people's beliefs, customs, and values to interact with them without prejudice or judgement. This leads to more cultural connections and fewer interpersonal conflicts arising from cultural differences.
Why is it important for human services to become more aware of their own cultural identity?The workers' self-awareness of their own cultural identities is as fundamental to practice as their informed assumptions about clients' cultural backgrounds and experiences. This awareness of personal values, beliefs, stereotypes, and biases informs their practice and influences relationships with clients.
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