Paper
Friday, July 13, 2007
Cultural Competence: What Is It?
Pamela Mack-Brooks, MSN, CRNP, Womens Health, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Rita K. Adeniran, RN, MSN, CMAC, CNAA, BC, Department of Nursing Education & Development, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, and Joan U. Bretschneider, PhD, RN, Department of Nursing Develoment and Education, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Global demographic changes provide challenges as well as opportunities for healthcare organizations and providers to improve the quality of care to an increasingly diverse patient population. Cultural competence has been defined as the clinicians’ ability to effectively deliver healthcare services that meet the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of the patients served. Cultural competence is most effective when healthcare services are based on a vision shared by the patient, organization, and clinician. The healthcare team of a culturally competent organization sees transformations due to multiculturalism as opportunities rather than threats, understanding that cultural competence is a continuing process, and it is the
desire to be culturally competent that evokes the process. Such an organization integrates the patients’ cultural values into their plan of care, recognizing and respecting the values of the patients, family, community, and also the organization’s workforce. That organization would also support their staff in obtaining necessary education to enhance their cultural competence skills.