To provide culturally competent care, one must first obtain the proper cultural assessment from the patient. It is important to listen to the personal needs of the patient and not rely on your cultural knowledge. Some of the factors that can vary within members of the same culture could include socioeconomic status, gender, education level, sexuality, and religious affiliation. In addition, many subcultures exist within a cultural or ethnic group, that contain different beliefs.

Some of the factors that a nurse should assess when obtaining a culture assessment is language, cultural affiliations, cultural restrictions, educational background, health beliefs, nutrition, and religion. It is important to know what language the patient speaks at home, what language they prefer to communicate, and what language do they read with. Some patients may also have a different style of communication, such as avoiding eye contact and tempo of speech. Cultural restrictions may include the expression of modesty within genders. Educational background can give information on the patient’s knowledge level, which effects his or her health literacy and ability to read any written material given to them. If the patient is unable to understand written instructions, the nurse should emphasize her verbal instructions, and ask the patient to repeat the instructions. The inability to understand instructions given can lead to noncompliance and negative patient outcomes.

After obtaining data from a cultural assessment, the nurse will be able to create a culturally conscious care plan for the patient. When providing culturally competent care, there will be improved patient-provider communication, increased compliance, and greater positive patient outcomes.

References:

Castro, A., & Ruiz, E. (2009). The effects of nurse practitioner cultural competence on Latina patient satisfaction. J Am Acad Nurse Pract., 21(5), 278-286. Retrieved October 6, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19432912.