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Positive changes in the demographic situation, as well as the multinational composition of the population give rise to particular concerns about cultural issues in medicine. Effective doctor-patient interaction is associated with increased patient satisfaction, adherence to recommendations, and a subsequent health improvement. Many people think of cultural competence only as a set of skills needed to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers.
While this aspect is, indeed, important, it is far from the only one that matters. Markey (2020) makes a good point that “examining cultural competence development through a moral reasoning lens can help empower nurses, whilst nurturing commitment to providing quality care for culturally diverse patients” (p. 2). Thus, to employ a proper culture care one, indeed, must maintain immersive knowledge about different cultures of which the multinational society of the U.S. consists.
This cultural competency in nursing applies to the patients, their families, and their colleagues. Nurses have the unique opportunity to witness patients and their families at their most vulnerable moments. Therefore, they must understand and respect their cultural background to deliver high quality, compassionate care. Kaihlanen et al. (2019) explicitly state that “a lack of cultural understanding increases negative attitudes towards cross-cultural care and also affects healthcare professionals’ perceived preparedness to take care of culturally diverse patients” (p. 2).
The need for this specific cultural competence – immersion into another culture – currently stands rather acute in the health care system. A good example is presented by the barriers to treatment Latino population with substance use disorder experiences. According to the SAMHSA (2019) National Survey on Drug Use, 91% of Hispanic Americans with SUD are unable to receive the treatment that they need at a specialty facility such as rehabilitation clinics. A significant factor that contributes to the question of unreachable treatment is the fact that, generally, health care programs are not culturally tailored. The nurses do not have enough knowledge about the Latino culture, thus, they are not able to provide the struggling people with the intervention they would accept.
This presents an issue to the Latino population due to their generally negative attitude towards needing help, especially medical, as well as an overall stigma towards the people with substance use disorder. Moreover, many Latinos express a strong fear of being judged by their peers for seeking help and, ultimately, exposing their problem. Overall, these aspects remain the most influencing in relation to substance use disorder treatment among Latino population, and they relate directly to the question of cultural competence in the health care workers. An effective doctor-patient interaction is associated with increased patient satisfaction, their adherence to recommendations and outcomes, and, generally, health improvement.
When socio-cultural differences between patient and health care workers are not studied and brought to practice, it can lead to patient dissatisfaction, non-compliance with recommendations and bad health consequences – such as in the case of Latino population. Culture plays a large role in shaping health values, beliefs and behavior. To provide physicians with the knowledge and skills to solve cross-cultural problems in the clinical environment, educational efforts are currently being made to develop the cultural competence of the medical specialist.
The ethical basis of the professional activity of a nurse lies in the concepts of humanity and mercy. Accepting and sharing cultural and general medical ethical values, a professional nurse declares the uniqueness of their profession, which should result in a culturally respective and ethical relationships with colleagues and patients. The proper culture care includes a deep understanding of different social insights from a wide variety of national backgrounds combined with immersive knowledge of the most important traditions and particular qualities of various communities. The nurse has to take into account patient’s race, ethnicity, sexual and gender orientation, as well religious or spiritual beliefs to plan an inclusive and diverse care.
These aspects of patient’s background may seem excessive to consider at first; however, they hold an essential value to understanding the patient’s mindset and relation to treatment. This, ultimately, allows the health care workers improve and adapt their culturally competent treatment plans according to their patients’ personal needs and values.
Health care develops in the context of culture, it is influenced by the historical development of the country, traditions existing in society, and different national traits. Likewise, the development of medical knowledge influences people’s perception of themselves, the distribution of optimistic or pessimistic sentiments in society, and shapes adopted norms of human behavior. The determining role in establishing a culturally competent nursing practice is played by socio-cultural component. This component refers to the willingness and ability to communication with others to conduct a constructive dialogue based on the partner’s own cultural and social background.
Another important point lies in the educational practices – nurse should constantly engage in learning to improve and enhance their understanding of cultural competence. Lack of competent knowledge of both one’s own and someone else’s culture is one of the main causes of conflicts, crises, and misunderstandings. Finally, a tolerant and empathetic approach should be cultivated in the nursing practice, calling the health care workers to adapt healthy mechanisms of interacting with patients. In other words, nurses must get rid of culture-centrism in assessing people’s behavior, actively forming an intercultural tolerance. Only in a tolerant environment can exist a healthy communication with people of a different culture, openness, and freedom from prejudice.
References
Kaihlanen, A.-M., Hietapakka, L., & Heponiemi, T. (2019). Increasing cultural awareness: Qualitative study of nurses’ perceptions about cultural competence training. BMC Nursing, 18(1). Web.
Markey, K. (2020). Moral reasoning as a catalyst for cultural competence and culturally responsive care. Nursing Philosophy, 22(1). Web.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2019). 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Detailed Tables.
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