Cultural Competencies for Nurses, Coursework Example

Achieving global citizenship is an important step towards the development of new perspectives that aim to be proactive in meeting patient needs and in determining how to best approach conditions with an open mind and the knowledge that is required to meet these needs effectively. Global citizenship represents a set of important challenges that are designed to impact many people through positive decision-making and activities that govern a shift in cultural knowledge and awareness over time (Hook et.al, 2013). This information supports the engagement of individuals in supporting an agenda that recognizes cultural diversity and the acceptance of other cultures as equal, in spite of their differences (Hook et.al, 2013). Individuals who exhibit cultural humility are likely to be effective in advancing agendas and in experimenting with different ideas that have a global reach (Hook et.al, 2013). Therefore, global citizenship must serve as a key priority in determining how to address different needs effectively and in understanding how cultural humility improves character and supports individuality in different ways (Hook et.al, 2013).

Global citizenship requires individuals to be proactive in aiming to help others who are different and who do not share the same core values and beliefs. For example, those fighting the Ebola virus in West Africa are global citizens because they care about the people of the world who are suffering and aim to treat them and their health with the utmost respect and dignity. This is an important reminder of the different issues that govern societies throughout the world and that require individuals from all walks of life to be culturally humble and to recognize that people throughout the world have specific needs that must be addressed in a comprehensive manner, often from people who are not a part of the same cultural context and environment and who may bring a different approach to healthcare and treatment that is an improvement over their own culture.

Cultural humility provides a framework for global citizenship and supports the development and engagement of individuals from a variety of cultures who are able to adapt to the needs of others in an effective manner. Individuals must demonstrate empathy for others who are unable to care for themselves at a level that will support even basic healthcare needs and wants. This is a critical reminder of the importance of fostering global citizenship in the younger population so that they are prepared to manage the needs of many different types of populations in a comprehensive manner (Takkac & Akdemir, 2012). However, individuals across all age groups must be sufficiently educated to understand how to respond to different cultures and to recognize how cultural identities play a role in shaping healthcare outcomes in different ways (Takkac & Akdemir, 2012). Cultural humility, therefore, is associated with a direct path to global citizenship because it supports the expansion of knowledge and resources to support mutual respect and cultural awareness in a positive manner (Takkac & Akdemir, 2012).

Educating people throughout the world regarding cultural diversity requires full engagement and the ability to be proactive in offering assistance to those in need who possess unique healthcare and other basic needs (Sexton, 2010). Therefore, educating others is a critical component of this practice and provides a basis for examining how healthcare professionals and others aim to recognize cultural diversity and the steps that are required to effectively support cultural needs (Sexton, 2010). Individuals from all over the world must be educated and gain a new level of open-mindedness regarding members of different cultures, as this process will encourage new forms of creativity and strength in advancing knowledge and resources for patients in countries where access to healthcare services may be limited or less than ideal (Sexton, 2010). The process of educating these groups requires a high level of support and knowledge of the conditions in which many people conduct their daily activities and how to best manage healthcare needs (Sexton, 2010).

Throughout diverse communities, it is important to identify the tools and resources that nurses must provide in order to improve outcomes for many people. Nurses must focus on specific patient care needs that often go unmet and to be cognizant of how to best approach patients from different cultures in a manner that is consistent with cultural competencies acquired through education (Dayer-Berenson, 2014). These practices enable nurses to exercise their skills and knowledge in different ways in order to accommodate patients and to be supportive in treating a variety of conditions, from primary care needs to chronic conditions (Dayer-Berenson, 2014). This is an important reminder of the different areas of the practice environment where nurse input is likely to have a significant impact on patient care (Dayer-Berenson, 2014). Nursing interventions must be practical and appropriate for patients and also provide a sense of comfort for specific populations who otherwise might not have an opportunity for this type of skilled care and treatment (Daver-Berenson, 2014).

Perhaps most important is that nurses are able to actively contribute to the needs of their patients in a variety of settings, many which are traditional and others which are non-traditional, thereby creating an environment in which patients receive the level of attention and focus that they deserve to support their overall health and wellbeing (Daver-Berenson, 2014). Nurse-led interventions, therefore, must be timely yet controlled, given the context of the surrounding environment and the needs that must be met (Daver-Berenson, 2014). These practices support nurse engagement in these causes and provide nurses with a framework for success and achievement with patients from culturally diverse groups.

References

Dayer-Berenson, L. (2014). Cultural competencies for nurses: Impact on health and illness. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Hook, J. N., Davis, D. E., Owen, J., Worthington Jr, E. L., & Utsey, S. O. (2013). Cultural humility: Measuring openness to culturally diverse clients. Journal of counseling psychology, 60(3), 353.

Sexton, J. (2010). The case for global education. Educating the whole child for the whole world: The Ross school model and education for the global era, 43-47.

Takkac, M., & Akdemir, A. S. (2012). Training future members of the world with an understanding of global citizenship. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 47, 881-885.