Comprehensive Educational Strategies to Promote Cultural Competence and Nursing Excellence

Cultural competence is an indispensable component of healthcare and nursing excellence. Evidence suggests that culture and health are inextricably linked and that the culture of the patient, provider, and the practice converge at every patient encounter, having the potential to affect the patient’s utilization of healthcare services, adherence to plan of care, as well as health outcomes.  Therefore, providers, including nurses, must be challenged to, and supported in providing culturally appropriate care to all patients. The literature has identified providers’ lack of knowledge, confidence and skills as barriers to providing culturally appropriate services; necessitating a comprehensive educational approach that educates and empowers providers with tools to deliver culturally competent care and nursing excellence. In the pursuit of excellence in nursing practice at local, national and international levels, a tertiary academic medical center launched the hospital cultural competence committee as one initiative under the Global Nurse Program (GNP). The committee is charged to prepare nurses and other health professionals to provide culturally appropriate care to a multicultural patient population in an increasingly global society.  Following the charge, an extensive review of the literature was conducted and the evidence found was used to guide the development of comprehensive and innovative educational approaches to educate clinicians, promote cultural competence and nursing excellence.  Educational strategies include: Capacity building of frontline educators, educational engagement of nurses on a local, national and global level,  provider skills and attitudinal development training,  hospital-wide  grand round educational activities,  and a  biennial symposium open  to  a multi-disciplinary team on local, national and international levels. In addition to the delivery of excellence in global nursing practice, outcomes include enhanced awareness of nurses as leaders for global health.