Coming to Know Cultural Competence

According to Campinha (2011)

Cultural contacts are regarded as the foundation of the process of developing cultural competency. Cultural interactions strive to change, refine, and validate current cultural group beliefs, practices, and values, as well as to create cultural awareness, cultural desire, cultural knowledge, and cultural skill. Because of the elastic nature of culture, understanding a given group’s cultural norms does not translate to predicting the conduct of a member of the group, and the member may not be confirmative to the group standards depending on the context or personality. This paper reflects on my encounters in cultural interactions and my growth towards becoming culturally competent.

Five significant concepts make the foundation for cultural competence

These concepts include cultural encounters, cultural desires, cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, and cultural skills. To learn more about a diverse group of people in the world, there is a need for cultural encounters. Their essence includes enhancing health care professionals to develop a comprehensive view to care. First, cultural awareness consists of an in-depth exploration of his/her background or profession and a self-examination. Second, cultural knowledge involves information base seeking and obtaining based on different ethnicities and cultures. Cultural skill is the nurse’s ability to collect a client’s cultural data and do a given physical assessment accurately. The process of encouraging nurses to engage directly with patients from different cultural backgrounds is known as cultural encounters. Finally, the motivation for cultural awareness and seeking cultural encounters is called cultural desire (Sandhu 2010).

A culturally insensitive joke

A culturally insensitive joke was at one time shared by one of my colleagues at work. I took an initiative to and talked with the person sharing the joke on how insensitive the joke was. I apologized to the offended co-worker and asked the reason for the joke offending them and the frequency of the experience happening. I had a desire of knowing more concerning personal experience and their feelings on mockery jokes on their culture. I did not want to make an assumption that they were only offended because there is usually much more than that.

Even though I was not personally offended

Even though I was not personally offended, I wanted to know the effect of workplace insensitivity on a person that may be the target. I felt sad at the fact that the other co-workers were insensitive on the hurt their joke had done on the co-worker and how it makes the colleague feel uncomfortable at the workplace. I felt proud, however, for having a stand for my co-worker and further taking time to understand situations and cultural challenges they deal with. The experience has helped me learn that if many people get to learn more about other people’s cultures and become sensitive to them, there would be more understanding for one another in the world. Therefore, cultural competency is necessary for any workplace. A joke or information shared may seem innocent but may be insensitive culturally to make one feel isolated and uncomfortable.

Another cultural encounter I experienced

Another cultural encounter I experienced was when I was invited to attend a church food festival by my friend. I accepted the invite without hesitation, but on arrival at the party, I experienced that all the food that was there was Greek food. I was initially disappointed and concerned because am a picky eater and I felt I would lack something I liked. On approaching the menu indicated excitement on trying her favorite meal and I tried to hide my facial expression of my disappointment because I did not want her to feel that I was not enjoying and think of inconveniencing me. My approach to the menu was open-minded against my stomach was not. I decided to try souvlaki because I felt that it was almost equivalent to the food I was familiar with. As we placed our order, the elderly woman took a glance at me and asked whether I wanted tzatziki sauce to accompany my order, and I agreed hoping it would be nice. I decided to admit to my friend that I had never eaten Greek food and I was a bit uncomfortable. I initially thought that she would get offended by about it, but she was rather more excited. Immediately, she divided a small portion of her food to my plate at the same time explaining every component of the food and the tzatziki sauce.

My experience made me notice a change of my feelings

My experience made me notice a change of my feelings from apprehension and fear to curiosity and enjoyment. After trying some small bites of her food and many desserts, I feel proud of making a trial of something new even though I cannot say that all was my favorite food. Seeing part of a culture I was unaware of was enjoyable and I am happy for an experience through food which we all share. My behavior, especially minding my body language and facial expressions is an expression of respect. This cultural encounter made me reflect on the need cultural sensitivity in developing cultural competency.

Not a long time ago I got myself into another encounter

Not a long time ago I got myself into another encounter in which I consider myself culturally insensitive. I had run to pick a drink after stopping at a gas station. On returning there was a car next to me with many people of different races and ethnicity to mine waiting for something. I decided not to interact with them. I would have thought to ask them what had happened even though they were of a different ethnicity and race but I even decided to avert my eyes. There was no communication. There was no communication, and this frustrated me. I had had the same experience some years back when I had visited a movie theater, and I was the only person when three large men from the same race entered the theater, and it made me feel nervous as well. This made me reflect on the way I was unreasonable to condition myself to think that way but felt relief on the entry of other people in the theater.

The experience has made me active in trying for more awareness

The experience has made me active in trying for more awareness of my thoughts and responses. Even though these I have as well found myself in the same situation of a negative response to persons based on their cultures perceived disconcerting stereotypes, I had a nice experience on interacting with a group doing a hurricane aftermath fundraising for affected Puerto Ricans. My acknowledgment of the incident and a reflection on it is necessary and has a great impact. It is, however, discouraging thinking that I have not advanced as I used to think a few years ago. Therefore, I need to continue reflecting and put under control the actions I can.

My experience with Gretchen, the new employee I work with

My experience with Gretchen, the new employee I work with, is another example of growth in becoming more culturally sensitive. I intended to make her feel welcomed and included in the workplace. Therefore, I made sure she was aware of the annual Christmas party and prepare herself. On informing her, she was excited about the events and activities at first, but she hesitated when I asked t confirm her attendance. On probing, she indicated that she is a Jew and it was not right for her to attend a Christmas party. Even though I have some knowledge and am aware of the Jewish religion, I had not met anyone before practicing it. I assured her that I would engage the management to change the name to Holiday party and add some Hanukkah to it. The experience made Gretchen grateful to me, and this made me invite her for lunch out so that I can learn more about her religion, and she happily complied. The experience has made me feel bad that we would have discriminated against her and by religion. This experience makes me continue being more educated and culturally sensitive to the different cultural backgrounds of different people.

As a young Portuguese female

As a young Portuguese female, my recent entry as a case manager in my unit has been hard for me to fit in the unit in which most of the women are older. The experience as a case manager on two nurses discussing taking their children for ice cream the previous weekend made me feel isolated because one of them acted as if she wasn’t seeing me, although the other one was friendly and polite. The nurse seemed frustrated as they discussed a new discharge process. My usual work attitude is about patients, and I do my best to retain a good relationship with my co-workers. It was difficult, although I am courteous and greet my patients and co-workers, and I am unsure of the reason for the woman’s behavior. I have learned from the experience that sometimes there is a need for empathy and people with the same experiences in life are friendlier to one another in the workplace. Therefore, I need to be cautious to them but still be civil. I have discovered that cultural competence cannot be mastered and is continuous in the career of a nurse.

References

Campinha-Bacote, J. (2011). Coming to Know Cultural Competence: An Evolutionary Process.Vol 15, 3; 42-48; International Association for Human Caring.

New search for: Campinha-Bacote, J.

New search for: International Association for Human Caring

Sandhu, K. (2010). Promoting culturally competent perinatal care practices among nurses and other health care providers who work with South Asian women.