This week there was a focus on cultural in all of my classes. From my classes I learned that it is important to be culturally sensitive as well as culturally competent. Nurses encounter many cultures day to day and it's important to learn early how to deal appropriately with different cultures.
I think the concept of being culturally sensitive applies to more areas in life than just nursing. There are so many cultures that surround us and each culture is unique. I believe that we all have a duty to treat each other with kindness and respect. And part of that means respecting each others cultures. If we as a nation we could respect each others different cultures I don't think there would be as much hate or crime.
As a student nurse it's important to learn to be culturally competent now so that as I continue my education and my experience in the clinical setting I'll be able to deal with patients appropriately. It's important that I decide now how I'm going to handle others culture traditions that I find offensive. It's also important for me to learn to accept others cultures so that I can have good work relations between other coworkers. Not everyone is going to believe the same things I do and it's crucial that I learn to still give good care even when I don't agree with the patient.
Being culturally competent is critical for future of nursing because this nation is only going to get more culturally diverse. There are going to be traditions that will seem unethical but it is the job of the nurse to provide good care no matter what. And if she can’t handle dealing with those issues she needs to allow the patient to have a nurse that can.
Nurses need to build trusting relationships with their patients. They can’t do that if they are not willing to respect the patient’s cultural traditions. The nurse is supposed to be an advocate for her/his patients. That advocacy won’t take place if the nurse is not sensitive to the patient’s cultural needs. As our nation grows so will culture differences and so it is vital that nurses learn about the culture of each patient they take care of.
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