TheoreticalModel of Cultural Competency
Thefirst step that the nurses need to take towards becoming culturallycompetent is to ensure that they make a self-assessment of theirbiases and beliefs. There are various sources which help the nurses,and the clinicians make a proper self-assessment they includemedical books and the internet. The model of cultural competency alsodemands that the nurses and clinicians be in a position to understandsome of the factors that influence their beliefs, culture, andvalues.
Thehistory of nursing entails routines, history, and rituals all ofwhich the nurses have to observe about the model of the culturalcompetency this is in line with the observation of the values thatguide all the nurses in their quest to deliver better healthcareservices to the patients. A patient is critical to any nurse orclinicians. Cultural competence in nursing also entails the nursingculture. The nursing culture can be achieved through communicationand socialization processes of the nurses amongst themselves. Theprimary objective is to create a good rapport.
Culturalcompetency entails models and theories that govern the nurses whileconducting their daily routines. The aim of every nurse should be toprovide culturally congruent care to the patients at all times. Thepatient’s cultural beliefs and values are critical, and a nurse issupposed to observe them. Cultural beliefs play a fundamental role inhelping nurses develop an individualized health care plan for thepatients. The health care plan will significantly affect thediagnosis that the patient will receive.
Variousscientists in the field of nursing have come up with some models thathave greatly assisted the nurses to provide culturally congruent careto the patients. Madeline Leininger has received a lot of accoladesdue to his great work which led to the development of thetranscultural nursing. Basing on nursing experience and skills,Leininger came up with the Universality Theory and the Culture CareDiversity. The two models are still in use. They have significantlyreinforced the models of cultural competency in nursing, equippingthe nurses with a lot of knowledge and skills that are necessary fortheir service delivery to the patients. The primary goal of themodels and the theories that Leininger developed was to explain anddiscover more about health care factors that could be integrated intocultural competency.
Purnellis the scientist who came up with the Purnell Model of CulturalCompetence. The model started as a framework for an organization.Purnell used to teach undergraduates about the various models ofcultural competency. Purnell model is illustrated as a circle and has12 constructs that are used to influence the culture (Beach, Saha &Copper 2006). His illustration shows that, for cultural competency tobe fully effective, the family, the patient and the nurse all have toco-operate and work together so that proper health care can beoffered to the patient. The primary goal of all the models andtheories in cultural competency is the provision of an approach whichis holistic and inter-professional, based on the expectations andbeliefs of the patient.
Thecultural competency model also involves Cultural encounter. TheCultural encounter is the act of the nurses taking the initiative ofinteracting directly with patients from backgrounds with culturaldiversity. Cultural encounter helps to win the hearts of the patientsquickly making them cooperate well with the nurses, thus giving theman easy time. The primary goal of cultural encounter is to interactwith patients from backgrounds with cultural diversity to validateand modify the values that exist, developing a cultural desire. Thepatients can interact more with the nurses creating a good rapportbetween them.
Nurseshave a great role to play for the patients to achieve good health.The relationship between the nurses and the patients is of greatsignificance and cannot be ignored at all costs. The patients alsohave a duty to play i.e. they have to provide the nurses with all theinformation needed concerning their illness so that the nurses can bein a better position to deliver proper health care (Johnson,Lenartowicz & Apud 2006). A patient is critical to any nurse justlike a nurse is of great benefit to the patient. The patient and thenurse should try to help each other where possible for the model ofcultural competency to be effective.
Themodel of cultural competency together with that ofpatient-centeredness has given nurses great skills to use whilehandling the patients so that they can offer adequate healthcare. Thenurses can manage cultural conflicts and also take care of people ofdifferent color and those from culturally diverse backgrounds.Cultural skills have made the nurses to be effective in thecollection of relevant cultural data that has been used in the properdiagnosis of the patients. The theoretical model of culturalcompetency has benefited nurses. The health care provided by nurseswho have knowledge of the models of cultural competency is of greatstandards. The models have helped many nurses to be skillful in theirwork.
References
Beach,MC, Saha, S., & Copper, L. A. (October 2006). Therole and relationship of cultural
Competenceand patient-centeredness in health care quality,Commonwealth Fund Publication No. 960. Medicine, 82(2), 193-98.
Johnson,J. P., Lenartowicz, T., & Apud, S. (2006). Cross-culturalcompetence in international
Business:Toward a definition and a model. Journal of International BusinessStudies, 37(4), 525-543.