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Cultural Awareness in Health Care Training

The United States is a multicultural society. People who come to this country bring diverse languages, cultural norms, religious beliefs and healing practices. Their background affects the way they receive and understand health care. Training health professionals in cultural diversity and competency is essential in providing quality care.

  1. Cultural Competency

    • Cultural competency refers to treating patients from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as the elderly and indigent, in accordance with their unique cultural needs, beliefs and risk factors.

    First Step

    • Training participants should examine their cultural background. This can help them interpret the needs of patients who might be new to this country.

    Communication

    • Learning how to communicate with patients in a way that creates a safe space for them to freely discuss cultural norms and beliefs about healing practices is a core component of training.

    Hands-On Learning

    • Participants should get a chance to practice their new skills under supervision. A first step could be practicing on classmates using role play, then moving on to real patients. Practicing what they learned in the classroom will give them the confidence to use their skills daily.

    An Ongoing Process

    • Cultural awareness and competency requires a commitment to ongoing self-reflection and analysis.

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