Cultural competency is a crucial ability or expertise to provide services across culturally diverse groups. In nursing, cultural competency implies the capability of health care providers to deliver the best medical care to patients while demonstrating cultural awareness of their principles, race, and morals (Brathwaite, 2020). It implies possessing knowledge regarding the cultural diversity of the patient as well as treating them with dignity. It is a skill that prepares health care workers to empathize, relate more to patients, and attend more deeply to their (patients) needs, thus encouraging better therapy. Examples of cultural competency in nursing include; applying language and terms that are clear to all patients and showing respect to the cultural and religious views of the patient. A healthcare worker must always ensure that the treatment plan does not conflict with the patient’s cultural and religious beliefs.
Relationship Between Cultural Competency and Diversity and Patient and Family-centered Care
Cultural competency and diversity, patient and family-centered care are two approaches to improving health care delivery that highlights different quality features. Patient-centeredness seeks to enhance excellence or quality by involving the patient perspective; cultural competency mainly stresses reducing discrepancies and gaps in health care. The patient-centered also reduces gaps in health care by seeking to balance power between nurses and patients. On the other hand, since cultural context and effective communication are essential to the care of every patient, including minorities, cultural competence can improve patient-centeredness and enhance general health care quality.
Cultural competency and family-centered Care traverse and complement each other at the health structure level. For instance, patient and family-centered health systems highlight services like same-day appointments and continuity of care across backgrounds. At the same time, culturally competent structures hire a diverse labor force that replicates the patient populace and makes partnerships with societies to set priorities and planning.
Reference
Brathwaite, B. (2020). Diversity & cultural awareness in nursing practice.