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What are cultural skills?
The culturally competent nurse recognizes that culture impacts
health. Cultural skill focuses on psychosocial (cultural) and
physical assessments (Campinha-Bacote, 2002). Assessment is the
basis
for all nursing actions.
Psychosocial (cultural)
assessment
data includes customs, beliefs, and values (McEwen, 2002).
Giger and Davidhizar (2002) identified
six cultural phenomena
common to
all cultures
that should be considered when planning nursing
care. The phenomena are defined in the following table.
Phenomenon |
Definition |
Communication |
"A continuous process by which one person may affect
another through written or oral language, gestures, facial
expressions, body language, space or other symbols." |
Space |
"The area around a person's body that includes the
individual body, surrounding environment, and objects within
that environment. Personal space can be used to meet the
needs of security, privacy, autonomy, and self-identity." |
Social
Organization |
"Family structure and organization, religious beliefs,
and the group's participation in social activities." |
Time |
"A person's focus on the past, present, or future.
Most cultures include all three time orientations, but one
is more likely to dominate the cultural perspective." |
Environmental
Control |
"The perceived ability of an individual or person's
from a particular cultural group to plan activities that
control nature, such as illness causation and treatment." |
Biological
Variation |
"Biological differences among racial and ethnic groups
may include physical characteristics, such as skin color,
and physiological variations, such as, lactose intolerance." |
| (Excerpt from Harkreader & Hogan, 2004) |
The cultural assessment guide developed by Andrews & Boyle
is included in the learning activities for your review (Retrieved
12/30/04 from http://www.ons.org/clinical/Treatment/documents/pdfs/Andrews.pdf).
The guide is organized by cultural components and includes pertinent
questions for each component.
Nurses must
develop accurate physical assessment skills. Physical differences
related
to culture
include
both observable (body structure & characteristics) and unobservable
(genetic & laboratory differences) physical variations (McEwen,
2002; Campinha-Bacote, 2002; & Simmons, 2002).
Complete the Learning Activities then complete the form below
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