Cultural Competency in Healthcare Leadership Term Paper

Moreover, nurses who move to working behind the scenes in education, can adapt what they have learned practicing in the field in order to translate it into an academic context. The need to teach transcultural nursing practices in a modern academic context is clear. New nurses will need to learn from others' experiences in order to best present a culturally sensitive method of care for their patients. Thus, many within nursing education have begun designing strategies to introduce the diversity into the nursing practice as early as nursing school, instead of waiting for nurses to develop their own culturally sensitive methods based on their experience in the workplace. Thus, Andrews and Boyle quote "Over the years, we have explored ways to creatively and effectively teach our students how to apply transcultural concepts to practice with the goal of developing their knowledge and skill in providing culturally competent and culturally congruent nursing care," (2002 p 178). Such progressions in nursing education will help modern nurses adhere to the national standards of transcultural healthcare practices as set out by the OMH (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2001). Essentially, implanting knowledge of the 14 standards within modern nursing education will help ensure their greater adherence in modern practice. Thus, education and the facilitation of knowledge is one of the nurse's most important roles within contemporary practice.

Finally, it is important that healthcare facilities continue to improve their cultural sensitivity. In order to do this, it would be beneficial for organizations to implement measures of quality control to measure and evaluate levels of cultural competency as they continue to implement innovative strategies to diversify the structure of healthcare in the United States. Continual testing and observation of cultural competence will help ensure continuing success. According to the research, "the data should be used to monitor racial and ethnic disparities in health care deliver, for reporting to the public, and for quality improvement initiatives," (Betancourt 2002 p 9). Such systems would help provide for continual improvement and therefore more effective methods for implementing culturally competent practices within the modern healthcare field.

In conclusion, the world of healthcare needs to adapt to a changing patient environment. As the patients become more and more diverse, the healthcare strategies used to help them need to as well. It is important to first evaluate the current environment, and then move to understanding the contemporary barriers in order to best articulate effective strategies to combat them. Additionally, it is crucial for the nurses working in today's healthcare field to take on a larger role in helping facilitate and design culturally competent healthcare practices. Nurses and their effective leadership within healthcare practices can help empower patients, even those who are considered minority groups within a largely hostile majority structure. Providing the best care is crucial to the new culturally sensitive strategy within nursing. After all, "care is the essence…and unifying focus of nursing," (Sagar 2010 p 3).

References

Andrews, Margaret M. & Boyle, Joyceen S. (2002). Transcultural concepts in nursing care. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 13(178), 178-180.

Betancourt, Joseph R. (2002). Cultural competence in health care: Emerging frameworks and practical approaches. The Commonwealth Fund. Harvard Medical School.

Douglas, Marilyn K.; Pierce, Joan Uhl; Rosenkoetter, Marlene; Callister, Lynn Clark; Hattar-Pollara, Marianne; Lauderdale, Jana' Miller, June; Milstead, Jeri; Nardi, Deena A.; & Pacquiao. (2009). Standards of practice for culturally competent nursing care: A request for comments. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 20(3), 257-269.

Sagar, Priscilla. (2012). Transcultural Nursing Theory and Models: Application in…