Providing culturally competent care is key to achieving critical goals for more equitable care. Cultural competence recognizes the role of culture for each patient—including how and whether the patient’s culture is, in fact, an influence. The Learning Resources this week include journal articles that present the significant need for cultural competence in nursing, attributes of cultural competence, and strategies that expert nurses use to ensure cultural competence in their health assessments and care planning. However, as these resources also confirm, achieving cultural competence is an ongoing challenge.
As you prepare for this Discussion, consider the value of addressing how and why cultural competence is fundamental to quality nursing. Reflect on examples that highlight the kind of cultural competence—or lack of—that can underscore the connections between understanding and sensitivity to culture and patient outcomes.
To prepare:
Review the Learning Resources.
Reflect on the topic of cultural competence in professional nursing preparation and practice. Draw on your experience as a professional nurse for examples of culturally competent care or failed care related to lack of understanding of a patient’s culture.