Conclusions
The ethnic identities and cultural backgrounds of
individuals strongly influence their healthcare attitudes, values, and
practices. The development of
culturally competent care is essential because of increased diversity, home
care, and inequity in accessed healthcare.
This inequity occurs regardless of socioeconomic status.
One of the main values a nurse holds is his/her caring
attitude. With clients of other
cultures, nurses are unsure of how to incorporate this caring into the delivery
of patient care.
Cultural assessment guides, when used correctly, are useful
to the practitioner to help them understand culturally diverse clients.
Cultural education in nursing programs will allow future
nurses to provide culturally competent care.
Student nurses whom are aware of the effects of their own values,
beliefs, and attitudes are capable of establishing more empathetic and
culturally relevant plans of care.
The tendency of Western nurses and doctors to be culturally
insensitive stems from their professional socialization and predominantly
middle-class values.
To many of the minority cultures, especially Arabian, the
Western health care system is too complex.
The health care system in the United States is hard for people to adjust
to because it is so different from the health care system in their countries of
origin.
Cultural competency is perceived differently. What the health care field views as being
culturally competent may be seen as stereotyping among the minority
groups. Translators need to be
provided, food choices need to vary, and places to worship should be provided
to include culturally safe practices.