Culturally Competent Care

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Culturally Competent Care Western Governors University Language and Communication: Presentation LUT1 December 13, 2012 Culturally Competent Care I. Introduction a. Audience hook: Nurses are challenged to provide culturally competent care in all types of healthcare settings. Cultural competence involves caring, sensitivity, knowledge and skills. The goal of cultural competency is to decrease the racial and ethnic disparities that currently exist in the United States of America. The Joint Commission has identified culturally appropriate care as a priority and the standards now mandate educating staff in providing culturally appropriate care to all clients ("TJC," 2010). b. Thesis statement: Research suggests that providing culturally competent care improves healthcare quality because it influences healing, wellness and perception of illness. c. Main points: i. Understanding that cultural beliefs and practices of the clients will influence healing and wellness and establish a respectful relationship. ii. Effective communication will assist the healthcare professional to understand the client’s perception of illness and in doing so, educating them. II. Healthcare providers should be aware of patient’s culture, beliefs, attitudes, behavior and preconceptions to provide quality care. a. Misunderstanding and errors can occur when the patient does not understand the plan of care leading to physical harm and even death (Green-Hernandez, Quinn, Denman-Vitale, Falkenstern, & Judge-Ellis, 2004). b. Patients may reject health care providers due to nonverbal cues that do not fit their expectations (Black, 2005). c. The United States is becoming increasingly multicultural; population speaking language other than English has increased almost 20% from 2006 to 2010 ("TJC," 2010). III. Communication
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