Cultural competency in nursing career

Cultural Competency in Nursing Practice

Cultural competency in nursing practice necessitates the appreciation and recognition of cultural variation in healthcare values, habits, and beliefs by nurse practitioners. Culturally competent nurse practitioners must have the abilities, knowledge, and attitude to care for patients from many cultures and languages. Culture influences not only nursing methods but also how nurses and patients perceive illnesses (Mbewe, 2016).

Benefits of Cultural Competency in Nursing Practice

One of the benefits of cultural competency in nursing practice is that it enables nurses to grasp the shared values and customs of various patients. Being aware of the patients’ cultures enables nurses to understand the common genetic elements shared by individuals from the same ancestry, which is essential for diagnosis and treatment of various illnesses (Mbewe, 2016; Cope, 2015).

Understanding Cultural Influence

Nurse practitioners also need to be culturally competent because it makes them understand how culture influences an individual’s thinking and behavior, thereby enabling them to plan and deliver the best care for the patients (Mbewe, 2016). Besides, cultural competency allows nurse practitioners to be aware of the interaction rules within a given cultural group, such as communication customs and spirituality, thereby enabling them to have a better understanding of the patients’ attitudes and offer genuine patient care (Mbewe, 2016).

Enhancing Cultural Competency Skills

Finally, cultural competency allows nurse practitioners to develop a set of skills that enhance cultural competency by learning communication ways that best enables patients to understand care plan. For instance, nursing professionals can learn to adapt to different and new conditions in a flexible way (Mbewe, 2016; Cope, 2015).

Conclusion

Cultural competency, therefore, plays a pivotal role in ensuring that nurse practitioners deliver the best care to patients, regardless of the patients’ cultural backgrounds.

Reference

Cope, D. (2015). Cultural Competency in Nursing Research. Oncology Nursing Forum, 42(3), 305-307. http://dx.doi.org/10.1188/15.onf.305-307

Mbewe, C. (2016). Cultural competency isn’t just for patients. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy! 14(5), 12-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.nme.0000489902.08585.55