Preliminary Matter
Cultural diversity has become critical for many organizations, including medical institutions. This issue is extremely important at the beginning of the twenty-first century when societies are very heterogeneous in terms of culture, language, or religion. In turn, an individual should understand that his/her values or mindset may be shared by other people. Therefore, one should examine the theoretical and practical implications of this trend.
Introduction
This report is aimed at discussing the relevance of cultural diversity and competence to the work of healthcare professionals. This is one of the questions that are often examined in academic literature. Moreover, educators focus on the development of cross-cultural skills that a medical worker should have in order to cope with his/her duties. Overall, it is possible to argue that this competence is vital for providing efficient treatment to patients who can have various values, attitudes, and beliefs. Medical workers should recognize the culturally-determined mindsets of patients and accommodate their practices in order to meet the needs of people who seek medical assistance. This is one of the main arguments that can be put forward.
Relationship between equity, culture, diversity, and cultural competence
Modern medicine is often described as patient-centered which means that a healthcare worker should focus on the individual needs and concerns of a person who seeks assistance (Saha, Beach & Cooper, 2008, p. 1276). Moreover, administrators of medical institutions usually attach importance to the principle of equity or fairness. This means that a healthcare professional should display the same level of competence and commitment while interacting with various patients (Dreeben-Irimia, 2010). Overall, many of the existing policies are designed to eliminate possible disparities. For example, it is necessary to take into account that patients can have various communication styles, customs, values, or worldviews (Evans, 2006, p. 1). In turn, medical workers should be aware of these differences. They should have an in-depth understanding of such a concept as a culture which can be defined as a set of values, traditions, and norms that are shared by the members of a certain group (Evans, 2006, p. 1). More importantly, these professionals should keep in mind that patients may have worldviews, traditions, or beliefs that are not shared by the majority. Thus, they are supposed to have such a skill as cultural competence which means that they should give healthcare services that meet the needs of people with diverse cultural norms, behavior patterns, world views, and traditions (Evans, 2006).
Elements and principles of cultural competence
It is possible to identify several elements of cultural competence. Researchers often focus on the following components
- knowledge of various cultures;
- sensitivity toward the cultural needs of a person;
- willingness and ability to provide culturally-specific healthcare services, and
- ability to choose appropriate communication style while interacting with the representatives of various cultures (Daniels, 2004, p. 15).
In turn, the activities of healthcare professionals should be based on such principles as respect for a patient’s values, understanding of a person’s uniqueness, and the desire to enhance both the physical and emotional well-being of a person who seeks medical treatment. These are the main principles that should be taken into account by healthcare workers. There are various cultural competence models that are relevant to healthcare professionals. For example, one can mention the model developed by Campinha-Bacote. According to this framework, cultural competence should be viewed as a continuous process during which a medical worker acquires information about the cultural background of patients and adjusts his/her practices (Daniels, 2004, p. 15). The main advantage of this model is that it places emphasis on the continuous development of one’s cultural awareness and skills. Such an approach is helpful because it facilitates the long-term improvement of a person’s skills.
Policies and guidelines related to cultural competence in health services
It should be noted that there are local, national, and international guidelines that lay stress on the importance of cultural competence. For example, in Australia, there are both local and national policies explaining the principles of cultural competency. Many of them were developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (2005). According to these guidelines, medical workers should be able to cope with several tasks. In particular, they should be able to identify both similarities and differences that can be attributed to culture, language proficiency, and age (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2005, p. 16). Additionally, they should take into account the values and beliefs of a person while promoting healthy lifestyles. Apart from that, they should be aware of patients’ food preferences, especially those that can be attributed to the cultural heritage of a person (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2005, p. 19). Overall, it is possible to argue that in Australia, both local and national policies imply that cultural competence is one of the indispensable skills that a healthcare professional should have.
Additionally, there are international guidelines that emphasize the importance of cultural competence. For example, the World Health Organization focuses on the need to reject stereotypes about the representatives of various cultures (2009, unpaged). Nevertheless, one can say that local and national policies are more specific. Overall, these examples suggest that cultural competence is one of the requirements that medical workers have to meet, and this is a standard that is adopted in various countries, including Australia.
Culturally safe professional practice
Such a notion as cultural safety can also be applied to the activities of medical workers. In this context, this term can be described as respect for the cultural values and beliefs of a patient. There are several precautions that can ensure so-called cultural safety. At first, healthcare professionals should acknowledge that their mindset and values may not be shared by everyone (Tjale & De Villiers, 2004, p. 24). Apart from that, medical workers should pay much attention to communication patterns existing in various cultures. Much attention should be paid to verbal and non-verbal behavior (Speck, 2006, p. 141). For instance, one should bear in mind that in the aboriginal culture of Australia, direct eye contact is considered to be an offense and it should be avoided (Speck, 2006, p. 141). Moreover, medical workers should remember about such issues as the perception of time or space existing in various cultures, and gender roles (Tjale & De Villiers, 2004, p. 26). In this way, healthcare professionals can empower patients and promote their wellbeing. This strategy promotes the empowerment of people who require medical care.
Recommendations
One can provide several recommendations that can help a medical worker provide culturally appropriate health services. First of all, this person should learn about the communication style adopted in a certain culture. Sometimes, he/she should make changes in verbal or non-verbal behavior. As it has been said before, certain gestures, phrases, or behaviors may not be acceptable in some cultures. This step is important because, in this way, a medical worker can gain the confidence of a patient and obtain relevant information from him/her. This is one of the first issues that can be identified.
Secondly, a medical worker should assess the linguistic proficiency of a person who seeks healthcare services. This suggestion is particularly relevant to a country like Australia in which people can speak several languages, apart from English (Tjale & De Villiers, 2004). In some cases, a healthcare professional should seek the assistance of an interpreter in order to interact with the patient. This approach is vital for establishing conflicts with a person.
Furthermore, a healthcare professional should learn more about the perception of illness and health existing in different cultures (Saha, Beach & Cooper, 2008, p. 1281). This step is critical because people can have various attitudes toward physical and emotional wellness. For example, in Aboriginal cultures, the concept of health does not only mean physical wellbeing (Chang, 2006, p. 2). This notion can be used to describe emotional balance, spirituality, and unity with one’s family or community (Chang, 2006, p. 2). In turn, a medical worker can provide better healthcare services by considering the attitudes and beliefs of a patient. This is why it is important to study the perceptions of health in various cultures.
Apart from that, researchers lay stress on the inclusion of friends and relatives who should support the patient. Certainly, this recommendation is applicable to people who belong to the culture of the majority. The problem is that people, who belong to the cultural minority, are more likely to feel alienated from others (Saha, Beach & Cooper, 2008, p. 1281). Therefore, they need to maintain contact with people who share their worldviews and values.
Conclusion
On the whole, this discussion indicates that cultural competence is an important skill that a healthcare professional should possess. In particular, this individual should be able to recognize the cultural distinctions of patients, respect their dignity, and provide treatment that reflects the attitudes and values of a patient. By addressing these issues, healthcare organizations can the fair treatment of people representing various cultures, languages, or religions.
Reference List
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Daniels, R. (2004). Nursing Fundamentals: Caring and Clinical Decision-Making. London: Cengage Learning.
Dreeben-Irimia, O. (2010). Introduction To Physical Therapy For Physical Therapist Assistants. Melbourne: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Evans, E. (2006). An elective course in cultural competence for healthcare professionals. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 70(3), 7-55.
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2005). Cultural Competency in Health. Web.
Saha, S., Beach, M. & Cooper, L. (2008). Patient centeredness, cultural competence and healthcare quality. Journal of the National Medical Association, 100(11), 1275-1285.
Speck, P. (2006). Teamwork in palliative care: fulfilling or frustrating? Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Tjale, A. & De Villiers, L. (2004). Cultural Issues In Health And Health Care: A Resourcebook for Southern Africa. Melbourne: Juta and Company Ltd.
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