Posted: September 1st, 2022

Use of Cultural Competency Training in Nursing for Accessibility

Use of Cultural Competency Training in Nursing for Accessibility and Effectiveness
The concept of cultural competency in nursing has been used to promote and improve the accessibility and effectiveness in the delivery of health care services to groups from ethnic minorities. The concept was developed to address the increasing cultural, social, and linguistic obstacles between health care providers and patients, which significantly affected the quality of health care delivery. Cultural competency training enables nurses and other medical professionals to provide personalized care to patients from different cultures. A cultural competence nurse is one who can efficiently deliver health care services to patients with varying racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
In the United States, more than 20% of the population is made up of minorities. This includes the Hispanics, African Americans, American Indians, and the Asians. This is quite a significant number, which creates prominent variations and a culturally diverse community. The diversity in culture in the US has been shown to influence the accessibility and effectiveness of health care delivery. Such a population requires culturally competent nurses who can effectively care for minority groups. The nurses should be able to recognize the cultural factors, including norms, values, socioeconomic status, and communication patterns of a patient.
Cultural competence training in nursing encompasses four key components that are very important in health care delivery.
Awareness. Being culturally competent as a nurse means that you can identify the beliefs and behaviours of the patient and develop the most effective way to interact and relate with them. A nurse can analyze and assess a patient and modify the behaviour to meet the needs of the patient while still demonstrating professionalism.
Knowledge. This involves purposefully learning and understanding other cultures by reading books, interacting with other people, attending seminars and workshops, and even taking cultural-related courses in the university.
Skills. Developing the skills that increase cultural competency involves learning ways of communicating and interacting with patients in a way that their needs are met.
Attitude. A culturally component nurse should be aware of how different cultures influence the attitude and behaviour towards health care and be able to make the best plan of care.
The role of cultural competency training in nursing cannot be overlooked. It helps nurses easily establish a rapport with the patients, something that is very important in caregiving. It also promotes improved levels of patient-nurse communication, which helps in assessing the needs of the patient and creating the most suitable plan of care. Without cultural competency in nursing, the risk of failed care is magnified.

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