Free Culturally-Competent Care Essay Sample

Culturally-competent care is healthcare that is mindful of the values prevalent in the ethnic and religious backgrounds of the patient. The capacity to provide culturally-competent care is critical especially for nurses who work in high-stress, high-acuity healthcare environments. Nurses must be culturally-competent to the extent that they develop rapport with patients. This helps in accurately assessing, developing and implementing nursing interventions to cater to the needs of the patients.
As a nurse, I can influence my nursing practice to ensure that I am culturally-competent. I can achieve this by respecting the dignity and rights of all patients regardless of their ethnic, cultural or religious backgrounds. In addition, respecting the beliefs of patients even though they conflict with mine can also help me to become culturally-competent. Common barriers to cultural competence in nursing include racism, discrimination, stereotyping and prejudice. Simple practices that can help me achieve a good rapport and show respect to patients include referring to them by their surname or asking how they prefer to be referred to as. It also includes showing respect for those around the patient such as their support group, family and friends. Building confidence for a better patient-nurse relationship may take time but it is worth the effort. If the patient speaks a language that I do not understand, I can improve our relationship by seeking an interpreter.
If I witness care that is not culturally-competent, I will make an effort to advise the nurse involved on the need to be culturally competent. This may involve calling them aside in privacy. If the problem persists, I may seek intervention from a supervisor or higher authority so as to have them make a change.