Introduction
Cultural competence in the nursing profession in America has always been an essential component in offering services to diverse clients. Understanding the client’s values and beliefs as well as understanding one’s culture is deemed effective in nursing care. Cultural competence is an ongoing process where professional nurses acquire about the cultural diverse clients. To achieve cultural competence nurses go through cultural competence training gained from the study of disciplines related to human behavior.
There are five constructs that assist nurses develop cultural competence: cultural awareness, cultural skill, cultural knowledge, cultural desire and cultural encounters (Jeffreys, 2010). There is a huge relationship between this five constrains and the level of cultural competence of a professional nurse. This constrains help the health workers see themselves as becoming cultural competent as opposed to already being cultural competent. Cultural competence assist nurses manage a diverse client and to make sound decisions.
Cultural awareness is usually a process that requires self-analysis. In this the nurse has to recognize their own cultural beliefs, assumptions, biases and values first (Timmins, 2006). Then explore the different cultural systems out there and identify the differences. The process of marking out the differences is key because the person begins to understand the multiple cultures and their functions. Sometimes people impose unintentionally their beliefs and values on other people due to lack of cultural awareness (Jeffreys, 2010). This makes the client uncomfortable and conflict arises because the other party feels their culture and behavior pattern is the best. Therefore, and in-depth exploration paves way for respect of own culture and the client’s.
Cultural skill allows the nurse to collect the cultural data of different clients and use the relevant information to assess them (Barthum, 2007). This skill impacts accurate judgment on learning how to carry out various cultural assessments on patients. This skill like most skills requires the nurse to carry out practice to attain perfection. It is easy for a nurse dealing with diverse clients because they can carry a quick cultural appraisal on patients and establish the next cause of action (Barthum, 2007). To determine an explicit need of the diverse clients’ in American hospitals a system appraisal of the client’s beliefs, practices and values should be carried out (Cherry and Jacob, 2010). It is up to the nurse to find out the client’s background information to influence a positive response from the client.
Cultural knowledge is the constrain that deals with seeking and obtaining knowledge about the diverse cultures and ethnic groups (Jeffreys, 2010). The healthcare provider here focuses on the culture, beliefs and health-related beliefs carried by the client. To increase treatment efficacy the nurse must gain sound education on the increasing cultures in America (Cherry and Jacob, 2010). It helps the client also explain how they view and interpret certain illness and how it guides their thinking. There are certain illnesses that affect a prevalent group such as the black Americans and Hispanics that does not affect whites’ non-Hispanic (Cherry and Jacob, 2010). By getting to know where the client comes from healthcare providers are able to address the issue base on cultural knowledge.
The nurse here studies the field biocultural ecology obtaining knowledge on various fields. It is widely known that disease incidences can vary from one ethnic group to another and the healthcare worker must obtain accurate information about the patient’s epidemiological data (Timmins, 2006). This field assists the nursing community embrace best practices that will enhance cultural competence in nursing. The client has the right to protection, including protection against cultural discrimination (Cherry and Jacob, 2010). Nurses should advocate for social justice within the healthcare arena. The different communities deem nursing care effective once the healthcare provider has an understanding of cultural values.
Efficiency is bound to be achieved with this process because nurses attain a sound way of screening clients and delivering fast diagnosis. Cultural assessment of each client appreciates the different life experiences each client holds. Respect for other’s cultures is a fundamental aspect in any organization (Cherry and Jacob, 2010). Cultural competence is a lifelong process where the nurse acquires certain experiences and knowledge.
Cultural desire is the process where the nurse begins to want to be culturally knowledgeable as opposed to have to be cultural knowledgeable (Streltzer and Tseng, 2005). The nurse must first appreciate that there are other beliefs and values out there besides what they believe in. Then later the nurse must begin to synthesis the various aspects that each client holds dear. A client would cooperate more if they feel their beliefs and values are known and respected. The nurse must then be cultural aware and knowledgeable to serve a diverse clientele. The outcome of cultural desire is to show the clients that the nurse indeed does care about them (Streltzer and Tseng, 2005).
People feel appreciated when they know that one cares about them and are interested to understand their culture beliefs and values. It is not enough for the care provider to state that they do respect the practices of another culture (Timmins, 2006); the nurse should also act it out through intervention. It should be the healthcare’s aim to motivate the clients by providing a cultural responsive treatment. Cultural desire is a genuine act that allows the nurse to be open and flexible with clients from different ethnic groups (Barthum, 2007). The nurse here is able to build on similarities and accept the various differences and also show interest of learning other’s culture. This is a learning process and its main aim is to ensure healthcare providers attain cultural humility.
A cultural encounter is very crucial because it encourages healthcare workers to engage in cross-cultural interactions. Here the nurse is expected to rotate and works with different ethnic groups in ordr t attain firsthand experience on different cultures (Streltzer and Tseng, 2005). It s believed that dealing directly with diverse cultures is the beginning of one refining their existing beliefs about other people’s cultures. It is however notable that working with a specific group should not pave way to stereotyping but instead help them understand their different ways. There is more variation in a cross cultural group and therefore, the health provider should understand that the various behaviors portrayed do not represent other people from the same ethnic group.
In cultural encounter the nurse must carry out an assemenet of the client’s linguistic needs (Barthum, 2007). Each ethnic group has their own unique language and where the nurse does not understand the language she must find an interpreter. This is very important because it facilitates communication between the patient and the healthcare provider. It is important to note that the nurses should employ a qualified interpreter to avoid communication barrier.
The community of nurses can acquire cultural competence by applying certain policies that encourage understanding of several cultures (Timmins, 2006). The nurses should be encouraged to apply standards of cultural congruence while dealing with clients. Healthcare workers should have small sessions where they reflect how best they can integrate cultural competence in nursing care practice (Barthum, 2007). Hospital administrators should develop policies that ensure everyone’s personal values are recognized. They should host programs that expand the understanding of different cultures, social and customs in healthcare practice.
Each of this constrains have an inter-relationship but they are independent in their own way. To attain cultural competence the healthcare worker must balance all five to serve the client’s to satisfaction (Timmins, 2006). A deep internalization of this constrains improves overall the framework for policy development and the provision of culturally relevant services.
References
Barthum, M. E (2007) Global health research to promote social justice. Journal of advances in nursing 18(2). P.1188-1192
Cherry, B and Jacob, S.R (2010) Contemporary nursing: issue, trends and management (5th Ed.). Texas, Elsevier publishers.
Jeffreys, M.R (2010) Teaching cultural competence in nursing and healthcare (2nd Ed).New York, Springer publishing company.
Streltzer, J and Tseng, W. (2005) cultural competence in healthcare vol.877. Encyclopedia in nursing care. P.144.
Timmins, F. (2006) Critical practice in nursing care: Analysis action and reflexivity. Nursing standard. 20(3). P49-54
