1. CULTURAL CONCERNS IN NURSING
Presented by:
Jade Kaniowski, Lacey Kelley, Heather Kyle, Laura Lindsey, Kimberly Peters

2. Cultural Concerns in Nursing
Being aware of or inquiring about a person's
cultural or religious beliefs with respect to
medical care can help nurses avoid causing
cultural pain to patients. These concerns must
be a priority when caring for patients and must
be respected in order to gain a patient’s trust
and to be able to holistically care for them.
Caring for patients not only focuses on the
physical aspect of health, but must also include
the mind and spirit as well.

3. Culture
Shared system of beliefs, values, and behavioral
expectations that provide social structure for
daily living.

4. Cultural Diversity
It is the cultural variety and differences that
exist in the world, a society or an institution. It
is having a group of diverse people in one place.
People working or living together that have
different cultures.

5. Cultural Sensitivity
Being aware that cultural differences and similarities
exist and that they can have an effect of
behavior, values and learning. It also means to be
aware and tolerant of these differences and
acknowledging them when interacting with others.

6. Stereotyping
Categorizing individuals or groups of people into an
oversimplified or standardized image or idea. It’s
when you assume that a belief or characteristic is
shared by all in one class, culture or ethic group.

7. Cultural bias
To give an advantage to one cultural over
another. To ignore the differences between
cultures and impose understanding based on
the study of one culture to other cultures. To
think one culture has precedence of the other.

8. Cultural Influences on Healthcare
• Physiologic Characteristics
• Psychological Characteristics
• Reactions to Pain
• Gender roles
• Language and communication
• Orientation to space and time
• Food and nutrition
• Socioeconomic Factors

9. Physiologic Characteristics
Certain racial groups are more prone to specific diseases
and conditions.
Examples include:
• Keloids
• Lactase deficiency and lactose intolerance
• Sickle cell anemia

10. Psychological Characteristics
In most situations, a person interprets the
behaviors of another person in terms of her or
his own familiar culture.

11. Reactions to Pain
Healthcare researchers have discovered that many of the expressions
and behaviors exhibited by people in pain are culturally prescribed.
Nursing care for patients in pain should be individualized, but
important culture-sensitive considerations include the following:
• Recognize that culture is an important component of individuality
and that each person holds various beliefs about pain
• Respect the patient’s right to respond to pain in whatever manner
is culturally and individually appropriate
• Never stereotype a patient’s perceptions or responses to pain
based on the persons culture

12. Gender roles
In many cultures either the man or woman is the
dominant figure and generally makes decisions for
the family.
Knowing who is the dominant member of the family
is an important consideration when planning
nursing care.

13. Language and communication
• To avoid misinterpretation of questions and answers, it
is important to use an interpreter who understands the
healthcare system.
• When caring for culturally and ethnically diverse
patients it is important to perform a transcultural
assessment of communication.

14. Orientation to space and time
• Personal space is the area around a person regarded as
part of the person. This area, individualized to each
person and to different cultures and ethnic groups, is
the area others should not intrude during personal
interactions.
• Different cultures vary in being future, present, or past
oriented.

15. Food and nutrition
Food preferences and how foods are prepared
are often related to culture. Patients in a
hospital or long term care often do not have a
choice in foods. This can be a cause for weight
and health changes in a patient.

16. Socioeconomic Factors
Research suggests that both physical and mental
health are associated with Socioeconomic
status(SES). In particular, studies suggest that lower
SES is linked to poorer health outcomes. Poor
health may in turn decrease an individual’s capacity
to work, thus reducing their ability to improve their
SES.

17. CULTURALLY COMPETENT NURSING CARE
Providing culturally competent care means that
care is planned and implemented in a way that is
sensitive to the needs of individuals, families, and
groups from a diverse populations within society.
• Cultural assessment
• Guidelines for care

18. Cultural assessment
When caring for patients from a different
culture, it is important to find out how they
want to be treated based on their cultural values
and beliefs. An effective way to identify specific
factors that influence a patient’s behavior is to
perform a cultural assessment.

19. Guidelines for Care
Cultural competency is a process and takes time. It involves developing
awareness, acquiring knowledge, and practicing skills. As defined by
Campinha-Bacote (2003), the nurses should answer the following
questions when caring for culturally diverse patients:
• Am I aware of my personal biases and prejudices toward cultural
groups different from mine?
• Do I have the skill to conduct a cultural assessment in a sensitive
manner?
• Do I have knowledge of the patient’s worldview?
• How many encounters have I had with patients from diverse
cultural backgrounds?
• What is my genuine desire to be culturally competent?

20. Links to Learn More…
• http://www.culturediversity.org/index.html
• http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/socioeco
nomic/ses-health.aspx
• http://www.barnesjewish.org/about/diversity

21. References
Fernandez, V. M., & Fernandez, K. M. (2011, November 05). Transcultural nursing: Basic
concepts and case studies. Retrieved from http://www.culturediversity.org/index.html
Davidhizar, R., & Giger, J. (2004). A review of the literature on care of clients in pain
who are culturally diverse. International Nursing Review, 51(1), 47-55.
Paniagua, C. T., & Taylor, R. E. (2008). The Cultural Lens of Genomics. Online Journal Of Issues In
Nursing, 13(1), 2.
Parikh, A. (2008). Cultural assessment manual. Retrieved from
http://www.dbhds.virginia.gov/2008CLC/documents/clc-Trn-AmieParikh-revis-cult-
assess.pdf
http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/socioeconomic/ses-health.aspx
Lillis, C., & Taylor, C. R. (2008). Fundamentals of nursing, the art and science of nursing care. (6th
ed.). New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkind.