What are the methods a nurse can use to gather cultural information from patients? How does cultural competence relate to better patient care? Discuss the ways in which a nurse demonstrates cultural competency in nursing practice.
Cultural Competence
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Cultural Competence
Gathering cultural information is essential when conducting health assessment on patients because they help nurses provide appropriate and culturally sensitive care. The following five methods can help nurses obtain cultural information from their patients. First, they should conduct cultural competence self-assessment before engaging their patients. This will enable them to get certification in cultural competence, which is the second crucial step. Thirdly, nurses can improve their language and communication barriers. They can also engage in some cross-cultural interactions directly with their patients. Lastly, nurses can participate in online networks and chats (Ben, 2020).
Cultural competence is vital in the provision of better patient care. It relates directly to better patient care in that due to cultural competence, more patient engagement and participation is achieved in a healthcare institution. This, in turn, leads to improved understanding and respect between nurses and their patients. As a result, there is an increase in patient safety, reduction in inefficiencies, reduction in care disparities, and decrease in costs. Cultural competence in a healthcare institution improves patient care directly (Maura, 2021).
When carrying out their nursing practice, nurses can demonstrate cultural competency in several ways. The first significant way through which cultural competency is observed in nurses is when they use terms and a language that their patients easily understand. Nurses can also show they are culturally competent by respecting their patients’ religious and cultural beliefs, which conflict with their treatment plans. Nurses can demonstrate their cultural competency by analyzing some of the ethnic composition demographics of their currently served patients. Identifying patients coming from underserved communities and populations is also a vital sign through which nurses can demonstrate their cultural competency (Patient Safety Net, 2019).
References
Ben, Davies. (2020). What are the methods a nurse can use to gather cultural information from patients? Organizing. https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-are-the-methods-a-nurse-can-use-to-gather-cultural-information-from-patients/
Maura, Deering. (2021). Cultural Competency in Nursing. Nurse journal. https://nursejournal.org/resources/cultural-competence-in-nursing/
Patient Safety Net. (2019). Cultural Competence and Patient Safety. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/perspective/cultural-competence-and-patient-safety