NCM 118: Cultural Care

Nurses shall gain an understanding of the perspectives, traditions, values, practices, and family systems of culturally diverse individuals, families, communities, and populations they care for, as well as knowledge of the complex variables that affect the achievement of health and well-being

• knowledge of culture

• education and training in culturally competent care

• critical reflection

• cross-cultural communication

• culturally competent practice

Nurses shall be educationally prepared to provide culturally congruent health care. Knowledge and skills necessary for assuring that nursing care is culturally congruent shall be included in global health care agendas that mandate formal education and clinical training as well as required ongoing, continuing education for all practicing nurses

• knowledge of culture

• education and training in culturally competent care

• critical reflection

• cross-cultural communication

• culturally competent practice

Nurses shall engage in critical reflection of their own values, beliefs, and cultural heritage in order to have an awareness of how these qualities and issues can impact culturally congruent nursing care

• knowledge of culture

• education and training in culturally competent care

• critical reflection

• cross-cultural communication

• culturally competent practice

Nurses shall use culturally competent verbal and nonverbal communication skills to identify client’s values, beliefs, practices,perceptions, and unique health care needs

• knowledge of culture

• education and training in culturally competent care

• critical reflection

• cross-cultural communication

• culturally competent practice

Nurses shall utilize cross-cultural knowledge and culturally sensitive skills in implementing culturally congruent nursing care

• knowledge of culture

• education and training in culturally competent care

• critical reflection

• cross-cultural communication

• culturally competent practice

Health care organizations should provide the structure and resources

necessary to evaluate and meet the cultural and language needs of

their diverse clients

• Cultural competence in health care systems and organization

• patient advocacy and empowerment

• multicultural workforce

• cross-cultural leadership

• evidence-based practice and research

Nurses shall recognize the effect of health care policies, delivery systems, and resources on their patient populations and shall empower and advocate for their patients as indicated. Nurses shall advocate for the inclusion of their patient's cultural beliefs and practices in all dimensions of their health care

• Cultural competence in health care systems and organization

• patient advocacy and empowerment

• multicultural workforce

• cross-cultural leadership

• evidence-based practice and research

Nurses shall actively engage in the effort to ensure a multicultural workforce in health care settings. One measure to achieve a multicultural workforce is through strengthening of recruitment and retention efforts in the hospitals, clinics, and academic settings

• Cultural competence in health care systems and organization

• patient advocacy and empowerment

• multicultural workforce

• cross-cultural leadership

• evidence-based practice and research

Nurses shall have the ability to influence individuals, groups, and systems to achieve outcomes of culturally competent care for diverse populations

• Cultural competence in health care systems and organization

• patient advocacy and empowerment

• multicultural workforce

• cross-cultural leadership

• evidence-based practice and research

Nurses shall base their practice on interventions that have been systematically tested and shown to be the most effective for the culturally diverse populations that they serve

• Cultural competence in health care systems and organization

• patient advocacy and empowerment

• multicultural workforce

• cross-cultural leadership

• evidence-based practice and research