What is cultural competence?

Cultural competence in nursing involves consistently seeking out and using cultural information when providing patient care. This sounds simple, but some nurses and nursing students find it hard to address cultural issues in practice (Coffman, Shellman & Bernal, 2004). Part of the problem may be that many basic nursing education programs in the United States focus on "Western medicine," overlook or omit alternative or complementary practices, and do not emphasize the importance of culture in health care (Leonard & Plotnikoff, 2000).

Dr. Josepha Campinha-Bacote (2002) believes "cultural competence is a process, not an event" (p. 181). To become culturally competent, a nurse must grow and develop in five essential cultural areas:

1. Awareness - self-exploration and identification of cultural "biases, prejudices, and assumptions" (p. 182)
2. Knowledge - cultural education
3. Skill - cultural and physical assessment
4. Encounters - "cross-cultural" interaction (p. 182)
5. Desire - cultural "motivation" (p. 182)

Let's look at each of the five components of the cultural competence model developed by Campinha-Bacote (2002) in more detail beginning with cultural awareness. For more information about the conceptual model used as the organizing framework for this module go to Dr. Campinha-Bacote's web site at http://www.transculturalcare.net.

• Review the key terms
• Test your knowledge by playing Basic Concepts Hangman Word Game