Culturally competent care involves delivering health care that is congruent with a patient's cultural beliefs and practices. Standards for culturally competent care aim to eliminate health disparities and ensure all patients receive respectful, understandable care. Some standards being met include providing culturally sensitive care and recruiting a diverse staff. Standards not being met are lack of ongoing training for staff and inadequate language services. Where standards are not met, solutions include assessing patient population needs, evaluating current practices, and recruiting a diverse workforce.

1. Culturally Competent Care Essay.
Culturally Competent Care Essay. Define culturally competent care appropriate for your
own workplace, based on your perusal of the assigned readingsCultural competence care is
defined as the ability of a health care provider to deliver care services using a framework
that is congruent with the patient’s cultural health beliefs (Marx & Miceli, 2008). In a clinical
setting cultural competence care can be achieved by the provider’s ability to create an
environment where the patient will be comfortable in sharing important information about
cultural health beliefs. Marx & Miceli (2008) say that “in the long run, the health care
provider will be able to present appropriate care planning and interventions, improving
adherence to treatment and health outcomes” (p. 127). Culturally competent care services
have been singled out as one of the major strategies to eliminate health care disparities
(NCCC, 2010). Marx & Miceli (2008) noted that culturally competent care is a promising
solution, whose origin is reflected in various nursing position statements and
recommendations by the AACN.Culturally Competent Care Essay.ORDER A PLAGIARISM-
FREE PAPER HEREOver the time, there has been an increasing recognition of the
prevalence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care delivery and outcomes in the
United States (AHRQ, 2011). Also, AHRQ (2011) report indicated that “culturally competent
care targets culturally and linguistically diverse groups of limited English proficiency
typically experience less adequate access to care, lower quality of care and poorer health
status and outcomes”. Culturally competent care addresses the racial and ethnic minorities
tend to receive a lower quality of health care than non-minorities. AHRQ (2011) report
noted that such situations happen even when such patient’s insurance status and income,
are controlled. There is a need for key stakeholders, researchers, health care payers and
administrators to understand the reasons for these disparities and at the same time design
methods to reduce or eliminate them (NCCC, 2010). This means that there is a need for
improved cultural and linguistic competence in the provision of health care services. AHRQ
(2011) report noted that “it is not easy to alleviate health care disparities without first
improving the cultural and linguistic competence of the health care services
provided”.Culturally Competent Care Essay.Collins et al. (2002) noted that a good
proportion of minorities feel they would receive better care, if they were of a different race
or ethnicity. AHRQ (2011) report outlined that “the pursuit of culturally competent care is
an ongoing process that begins with an awareness of the increasing diversity among
Americans”. There is a need for plans that will meet financial and quality goals will
recognize that members have different customer-service and health-care needs based on

2. their cultural backgrounds. AHRQ (2011) report also says that “for Asian Americans and
African Americans, the health care system presents formidable barriers to both accessing
and receiving care”. This implies that critical plans are needed to develop and continuously
improve services and processes of culturally competent care (AHRQ, 2011). The creation of
effective, culturally competent care systems requires extensive collaboration of all the key
players (AHRQ, 2011).Culturally Competent Care Essay.Identify the populations served and
any issues of population vulnerabilityAccording to Marx & Miceli (2008), vulnerable
populations served by culturally competent care include ethnic populations and
economically disadvantaged populations who suffer in an environment where economic
forces alone dominate health care delivery. Such populations lack health care insurance for
any reason or lack of interpreters for limited English proficiency patients. Collins et al.
(2002) in their research came up with research findings of the populations’ vulnerabilities
in culturally competent care. In their research they noted that 15% of African Americans,
13% of Hispanics and 11% of Asian Americans said there had been a time when they felt
they would have received better care, if they had been of a different race or ethnicity
(Collins et al., 2002).Collins et al. (2002) in their study indicated that populations served by
culturally competent care were 16% of African Americans and 18% Hispanics who felt they
had been treated with disrespect during a health care visit. At the same time, Asian
Americans were least likely to feel that their doctor understood their background and
values and were most likely to report that their doctor looked down on them (Collins et al.,
2002). Vulnerable populations in competent care were identified on the basis of access to
language interpreters. Collins et al. (2002) also say that among non-English speakers there
is a need in an interpreter during a health care visit, less than one-half 48% said they always
had one.In addition, vulnerable populations in culturally competent care were African
Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans who used alternative therapies are likely to tell
their doctors about that use than white patients. Collins et al. (2002) researched that 70%
of white respondents said they told their doctor about their use of alternatives therapies,
compared with 55% of African Americans, 50% of Hispanics, and 63% of Asian Americans
who did not inform. Lum (2010) indicated that African Americans and other ethnic
minorities report less partnership with physicians, less participation in medical decisions,
and lower levels of satisfaction with care. Lum (2010) also noted that “the quality of patient
physician interaction is lower among non-white patients, particularly Latinos and Asian
Americans” (p. 24). African Americans is a vulnerable population in culturally competent
care because they are more likely to feel they were treated disrespectfully during a health
care visit (Lum, 2010).Culturally Competent Care Essay.Comment on standards of cultural
competence that appear to be met and any that are not metScholars note that ethnocentric
approaches to healthcare practice can be ineffective in meeting health care needs of diverse
cultural groups of patients and clients (Dreeben, 2006). Dreeben mentioned that ineffective
ethnocentric approaches gave rise to the fourteen national standards for culturally
appropriate services in health care (2006). The importance of cultural competence care
standards is to tackle the inequities which exist in the provision of health care and to make
services more responsive to individual needs (Rose, 2011). This in turn plays a key role to
those who seek care in the United States through the elimination of racial and ethnic health

3. disparities (Rose, 2011). One of the standard that has been met is that health care
organizations have ensured that the patients receive from all staff members’ an effective
understandable, and respectful care which is provided in a manner compatible with their
cultural beliefs and practices and preferred languages (Rose, 2011). The second standard
being met according to Rose (2011) is that health care organizations have implemented
strategies to recruit, retain, and promote at all levels of the organization a diverse staff and
leadership that are representative of the demographic characteristics of the service
area.The third standard which has not been met is that health care organizations have not
provided an ongoing education and training in culturally and linguistically appropriate
service delivery to all staff members (Rose, 2011). Also Rose (2011) indicated that “health
care organizations have not managed to provide language assistance services, including
bilingual staff and interpreter services at no cost to each patient limited to English
proficiency at all points of contact, in a timely manner during all hours of operation” (p.
105). The second standard that has not been met is that health care organizations have not
made easily understood patient related materials and post signage in languages of the
commonly encountered groups and or groups represented in the service area (Rose,
2011).Moreover, Rose (2011) noted that “another standard that has been met is that health
care organizations have ensured that data on the individual patient’s race, ethnicity, and
spoken and written language are collected in health records, integrated into the
organizations management information system and periodically updated” (p. 105). Health
care organizations have maintained a current demographic, cultural and epidemiologic
profile for the community as well as a needs assessment to accurately plan for and
implement health care services which are in line to the cultural characteristics of the service
area (Rose, 2011). Rose (2011) argues that “health care organizations have not ensured that
conflict and grievance resolution process are culturally sensitive and capable of identifying,
preventing, and resolving cross-cultural conflicts or complaints by patients” (p.
106).Culturally Competent Care Essay.Identify how delivery of nursing care could be
affected where standards are being met and where they are not being metIn the last three
decades, special attention has been given to the notion of culture-based care. Bomar (2004)
says that were standards are being met, the challenges of the future of nursing care
mandate a renewed interest in and commitment to using both knowledge and practice skills
in providing for the many cultures in and among diverse racial and ethnic groups whose
members seek health care assistance and service in the United States. Bomar further says
that nurses working within trans-cultural settings need an understanding of various
anthropological concepts (2004). Where standards are being met, nursing care should
reflect a trans-cultural approach to health care, in which the nurse attempts to recognize
and transcend barriers and obstacles established by cultural uniqueness (Bomar,
2004).Culturally Competent Care Essay.Elliott, Aitken & Chaboyer (2007) noted that where
standards are being met from a trans-cultural nursing perspective, culturally competent
nursing care requires the nurse to incorporate cultural knowledge, the nurse’s own cultural
perspective and the patient’s cultural perspective into intervention plans were the
standards are being met. Where standards are being met nursing care are advised to
critically examine theories and models to guide their practice and ensure they deliver care

4. that is both appropriate and effective for the people they work with (Elliott, Aitken &
Chaboyer, 2007). Also where culturally competence care standards are being met, nursing
care is practiced in a sound manner rather than individual nurses behaving correctly. Elliott,
Aitken & Chaboyer (2007) argued that “in culturally competent care, nursing care is about
the nurses’ knowledge about their own cultural beliefs and practices and the impact they
may have on others” (p. 45). Also the actions of the nurse are to improve the patient’s health
experience, and the integration of culture in clinical practice (Elliott, Aitken & Chaboyer,
2007).Comment on solutions that could be implemented where standards are not being
metThe key solution that could be implemented where standards are not being met is to
identify the needs of the patient population being served and assess how well these needs
could be met through the current system. Rose (2011) indicated that another solution is “to
bring people across the health care organization together to explore cultural and language
issues by sharing experiences, evaluating current practices, discussing barriers and
determining gaps” (p. 116). Another solution that could be implemented where the
culturally competent care standards are not being met is to make assessment, monitoring
and evaluation of cultural and language needs and services a continuous process (Rose,
2011).Culturally Competent Care Essay.Carter (2009) noted that the staff should come up
with attitudes that enable the development of culturally competent care. Enabling attitudes
are those that facilitate learning about other cultures and developing an appreciation for
differences in culture. Carter (2009) says that this can be achieved by wanting the best
outcomes possible for an individual or a population group. Also a focus on outcomes
enables one to actively explore cultural differences that might interfere with obtaining a
good outcome and to identify those cultural differences that may improve this type of care
(Carter, 2009).In their studies, Ruiz & Primm (2009) recommended that “where culturally
competent care was not being met, the organization should partner with multi-cultural
communities in the planning, development, and implementation of cultural health system”
(p. 28). Health care organizations should also recruit and retain a culturally diverse
workforce at all levels of the organization that reflects the cultural diversity of the setting
(Ruiz & Primm, 2009). It is also important to integrate cultural competence and diversity
into health care staff training, development and educational activities where culturally
competent care standards are not being met.Culturally Competent Care Essay.