Nursing staff work with patients from different cultural backgrounds. Consequently, one of the challenges facing nurses is the provision of care to culturally diverse patients. Hospitals and healthcare agencies must accommodate these needs by initiating diversity management and leadership practices" (Coe, 2011). Thus, in order to provide this crucial, soothing environment, nurses have a responsibility to engage in a fundamental education of cultural differences. Nurses need to be prepared and aware of the differences between cultures and how to relate to people from different cultures and what the expectations are. For example, so many cultures have very strict expectations about gender roles and what's appropriate and what isn't and while these thoughts might seem very old-fashioned or foreign to the modern nurse, violating these ideas will only make the patient uncomfortable.
Having such cultural competency requires active endeavors on my part, such as reading about different cultures, taking seminars in diversity, and putting a strong focus...
Steps such as these can be epically effective in bridging the gaps between cultural backgrounds and providing more cohesive care.
In conclusion, the bulk of my focus is on the importance of delivering the best quality and most therapeutic care to patients as humanly possible. Such a goal can be achieved through both simple and more complex means. Things like listening carefully and supporting the patient are all things which can translate to a high quality of care and make the patient feel truly looked after. Cultural competency makes patients feel understood and gives them the experience of having their needs met in a familiar and acceptable manner.
References
Coe, S. (2011). Cultural Competency in the Nursing Profession. Retrieved from Nursetogether.com: http://www.nursetogether.com/Career/Career-Article/itemid/1154.aspx
Hood, L. (2009). Leddy & Pepper's Conceptual Bases of Professional Nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, Wilkins.
