Culturally Competent Nursing Care

Question A 

Cultural competence regards comprehending diverse cultures therein, facilitating ideal communication with the individuals as such considerations propagate understanding of cultural practices accompanied by universal views. It magnifies awareness of affiliations of different persons promoting positive perceptions concerning cultural differences. Therefore, cultural competence in healthcare is a demonstration of healthcare workers’ recognition of value, beliefs, and affiliations propagated by diversity. Danso (2018) submits that it factors the “individual social, cultural, and psychological needs of patients for effective cross-cultural communication with their health care providers.” Therein, cultural competence in healthcare propagates professionals in the field to have a universal outlook as an individualistic awareness when delivering services. Therefore, it concerns appreciating the diversity demonstrated by patients considering their affiliations, offering a global approach concerning the delivery of medical services. 

Question B 

Minorities face various hardships that contextualize their health care issues with the Office of minority health mandated to address their concerns. Minorities suffer the proceeds of long-term oppressive measures that materialized from racial discrimination. The discriminative actions facilitated the prevalence of adverse affiliations, such as poverty and low levels of literacy. Such ideals translate to poor health for minorities propagated by poor and dense neighborhoods. The latter facilitates high health risk, especially during the prevalence of highly contagious diseases. The racial discrimination faced by minorities, thereby propagate structures that conceptualize the health care issues the ethnic groups face. The Office of minority health, created in 1986, addresses such matters by promoting the protection of the health of a diverse population (“About the Office of Minority Health”). The authoritative organization utilizes research and science communication to address health disparities. Therefore, minorities face health care issues that the jurisdiction of the Office of minority health handles. 

Question C 

Achieving cultural competence requires adopting practices that factor values and attitudes of diverse populations therein, optimizing patients’ healthcare experiences. The measures should cut across the many cultural backgrounds using steps like valuing diversity and adopting a structure that communicates the capacity for cultural self-assessment. Healthcare systems should equally exhibit consciousness concerning dynamics when cultures interact. Medical establishments similarly can utilize institutionalized cultural knowledge accompanied by policies reflecting developed adaptations concerning service delivery. The latter should communicate the comprehension of cultural diversity, which includes factors such as “race, ethnicity, age, gender, size, religion, sexual orientation, and physical and mental ability” (Duran & Pérez-Stable, 2019). Lastly, healthcare organizations should factor the mentioned aspects when making policies, administration structures, medical practices, and, most importantly, the delivery of services. 

Question D 

The adoption of ideal policies creates sufficient standards for healthcare practices, which would address the issue of racial disparities. Inefficiencies propagated by oppressive measures issued to races, especially minorities, create concerns for delivering healthcare services. Adopting sufficient additional regulations to preexisting ones that target selected practices when handling patients would facilitate equity in healthcare structures. It may include stringent punitive measures for healthcare professionals that do not adhere to the mentioned regulations. Another means to reduce racial disparities involves strengthening the Office of Minority Health through adequate financing. It mirrors enacting sufficient standards for healthcare practices subject to the mandate of the body. Therefore, the adoption of sound policies accompanied by strengthening entities charged with facilitating cultural competence will reduce racial disparities. 

Question E 

Insurance covers such as the Medicare program propagated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are available resources for culturally diverse populations. ACA, equally known as Obamacare, has three goals: “making health insurance available for many individuals, expanding Medicaid programs, and supporting innovative healthcare service delivery” (Szanton et al., 2018). For the first element, the policy targets subsidies to consumers, primarily those that fall below the federal poverty level. For the second element, the expansion targets adults who are low-income earners. For the final factor, the promotion targets reducing health care costs. Therefore, the insurance covers are resources available for culturally diverse populations cushioning them as they seek the mentioned services. 

References 

Danso, R. (2018). Cultural competence and cultural humility: A critical reflection on key cultural diversity concepts.  Journal of Social Work ,  18 (4), 410-430. 

Duran, D. G., & Pérez-Stable, E. J. (2019). Novel approaches to advance minority health and health disparities research. 

HHS.gov. “About the Office of Minority Health.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health , https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=1&lvlid=1 

Szanton, S. L., Alfonso, Y. N., Leff, B., Guralnik, J., Wolff, J. L., Stockwell, I., ... & Bishai, D. (2018). Medicaid cost savings of a preventive home visit program for disabled older adults.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society ,  66 (3), 614-620.