Essay: Culturally competent health system
Essay: Culturally competent health system
The importance of competency based nursing cannot be over emphasized. A culturally competent health system can only exist with culturally competent nurses (Green & Reinckens, 2013). This is an indispensable tool of patient-centered care necessary for nurses to practice efficiently and effectively in a diverse cultural based healthcare system. A culturally competent nurse is able to meet the needs of patient irrespective of race, value, culture, belief, religion, socio-economic background or political orientation. A cultural competent nurse must identify their own beliefs, culture, and value system as well as that of the patient avoiding bias and stereotyping (Green & Reinckens, 2013). A culturally competent based nurse must possess effective communication skills both verbal and non-verbal as this will help to identify and understand the patient’s healthcare needs. By identifying the patient’s needs, the nurse is able to gain insight in developing a plan of care that is most suitable for that specific patient. Culturally competence nursing involves improving patient outcomes, less hospitalization and healthcare cost saving for the patient and family.
Cultural competency in nursing is most essential in providing quality patient care. Cultural competence requires the nurse to be sensitive to patient‘s cultural needs predispositions and health risks that are related to specific cultures, addressing these as needed. This writer work in a Care Center that is much diversified culturally. There is this patient that will not respond to a female staff in the early hours of the day for cares. It was a challenge until the investigation revealed that in that patient’s culture only their wives are allowed to see them before 5.am. This patient felt honored and respected after the investigation. It was wired for the nurses in the unit, but a great accomplishment for the patient. Indeed, patient satisfaction is Patient- Centered care which every culturally competent nurse must practice in this diverse population.
Reference:
Green, Z. D., & Reinckens, J. (2013). Cultural Competency in Health Care: What Can Nurses Do?. Maryland Nurse, 14(4), 16.
