Cultural awareness has always been an important ability for healthcare workers in the United States, but it has become increasingly valuable as the population grows more diverse. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the country will become a “majority-minority” nation by 2043, meaning that while non-Hispanic white people will remain the largest racial demographic, no ethnic group will make up half of the total. The share of immigrant people in the US has also been on a steep upward trend, as immigrants today make up 14.3% of the U.S. population–which is very close to the record high of 14.8%, in 1890.
Cultural competence isn’t just a preferred ability for nurses to learn—it’s become essential. As one recent article in The Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care put it, “Cultural competence will become the hallmark of high-quality public health systems, programs, and research.”
A professional who has “cultural competence” can understand, respect, and effectively communicate with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Culturally competent individuals aim to stay aware of how their personal worldview and background inform their interactions. They also seek to learn more about other cultures and perspectives through continuous education and self-reflection.
This dynamic combination of humility, curiosity, skills, and knowledge enables culturally competent people to work effectively in diverse settings. This goes beyond being able to communicate well with people of different ethnicities and extends to differences in socioeconomic status, disability status, education level, sexual orientation, age, and gender identity, among other personal attributes.
Every skilled nurse knows that no two patients are the same, and the movement toward individualized, evidence-based treatment plans has helped define the modern nursing profession. As leaders and innovators in the healthcare space, nurses who are equipped with cultural awareness are at the forefront of providing culturally competent care. Nurse-patient relationships can benefit from cultural competence on an individual level, but the benefits extend beyond that microcosm. Nurses who employ cultural competence can improve patient outcomes, reduce health disparities between groups, and help build a healthcare system that is more fair and inclusive for all.
Let’s go over what cultural competence looks like in the healthcare setting, why it is so important, and what aspiring nurses should understand as they prepare to enter the workforce.
Components of cultural competence in nursing
Cultural competence in nursing refers to the specific skills and attitudes that help nurses provide respectful, individualized care and achieve better health outcomes across cultural barriers.
The core components of this ability build on each other, starting with self-awareness at the foundation. Through a lifetime of experiences and information, everyone develops their own unique assumptions that can influence their interactions with others. This is a natural human tendency, but it can contribute to negative outcomes, like stereotyping. Recognizing one’s own biases and assumptions through an ongoing process of self-reflection is key to relating with patients who may, for various reasons, have a different worldview.
Next comes acquiring knowledge. Knowledge of other cultures, of course, but also different faith traditions, generational norms, child-rearing styles, and class backgrounds. Learning about how these differences inform behaviors and expectations within a certain culture makes nurses better patient advocates and care providers. The process of acquiring this knowledge never ends, and every new patient presents an opportunity to learn something new.
Once a nurse has worked on self-awareness and knowledge, they are ready to build out their cultural competency toolbox with skills and strategies. These are tools developed to bridge cultural gaps in communication and understanding. One example of a tool is the LEARN Model—an acronym that reminds providers of a structured approach for engaging with patients in a culturally sensitive way. It stands for a five-step process (L-Listen; E-Explain; A-Acknowledge; R-Recommend; N-Negotiate) that leaves room for the patient to have input on a medically appropriate, culturally-informed treatment plan that they will be more likely to adhere to.
There is a long list of other cultural competence tools in healthcare that we won’t get into here, but learning these techniques and frameworks helps nurses engage with patients on a holistic, individual level. This often leads to patients who are more satisfied with their care—which would be enough of a reason to pursue cultural awareness. But there are a host of other potential benefits, too.
Benefits of culturally competent care in nursing
Researchers are still working to understand how cultural competence impacts patient outcomes, but most agree that culturally competent care results in a more positive healthcare experience.
Care providers, including nurses, build trust with patients when they are curious, sensitive, and responsive listeners. Cultural awareness fosters a sense of trust that makes patients feel more comfortable, which may help with treatment plan adherence. For some nurses, it even increases their feeling of career satisfaction. Cultural competence can also result in clearer communication between patient and caregiver, which reduces the risk of medical errors.
On a community level, culturally competent care can, over time, support health initiatives and public health goals. When individuals feel supported and listened to in healthcare settings, they are more likely to return to those settings. That means increased participation in preventative care, screenings, and health education programs.
Simply put, culturally competent care in nursing benefits everyone involved. That means patients, their families, nurses, and other care providers—but also extends to the healthcare system, as a whole. That’s why, at Holy Family University Online, cultural humanity is a core value of the curriculum. Introductory coursework that explores cultural humility, health policy, and global health gives nurses the tools to incorporate cultural competence in their practice. As the courses become more advanced, cultural awareness and knowledge remain essential as students learn about nursing leadership, evidence-based practice, and the healthcare economy.
Why choose Holy Family to pursue your Accelerated BSN if you already hold a bachelor’s degree?
The program’s robust cultural competence coursework is a great reason to consider Holy Family University Online to pursue an Accelerated Bachelor of Science (ABSN) degree—but it’s far from the only reason. For future nurses who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, the ABSN at Holy Family University Online offers flexibility, affordability, and efficiency.
The ABSN is built with second-degree students in mind. That means the program leverages prior coursework and credits, allowing students to concentrate only on classes relevant to the nursing degree. Holy Family ABSN graduates complete the program in as little as 14 months. Most ABSNs with that kind of timeline require 8 or 9 prerequisite classes for admission—the equivalent of two semesters of additional work before you can begin their program. Since Holy Family University knows your time is valuable, there are only 5 pre-requisite courses required for admission.
The program’s flexible, online coursework is an effective way to get through the demanding curriculum. But learning online doesn’t mean learning alone. A week-long on-campus residency allows hands-on learning opportunities and facilitates connections with peers and faculty. Nursing clinicals allow you to practice what you’ve learned in the classroom by caring for real patients under the supervision of a seasoned nurse preceptor. And since all ABSN students are required to live within the state of Pennsylvania, it’s likely that you’ll make local connections that will serve you throughout your entire nursing career.
It’s a rigorous and effective way to learn, as evidenced by the program’s success rates. In the second quarter of 2023, 91.38% of Holy Family’s nursing program graduates passed the challenging exam required for registered nurses, the NCLEX-RN. HFU’s second-degree distance ABSN is fully accredited and recognized by employers. Learn more about the program—talk to an admissions counselor today!
