What is cultural competence and why is it important?
What is cultural competence and why is it important?
Cultural competence is described as the ability to interact and communicate effectively with people from different cultures and form meaningful relationships using positive behaviors, attitudes, and practices. The term "culture" refers to a racial, ethnic, religious, or social group's views, values, and opinions, whereas "competence" refers to the ability to work efficiently.
Effective listening, understanding, and active involvement are cultural competency activities that can help us build a supportive atmosphere and develop an understanding of cultural similarities and differences. Cultural competence is necessary since it is difficult to develop positive, strong connections without it. Instead, we'll live side by side with people we don't know, increasing the chance of miscommunications, misunderstanding, hurt feelings, and bias—all of which should be prevented.
We live in a highly multicultural community, and we all need to be able to communicate with people of different ethnicities and cultures, build relationships, and work effectively with them. One must also prepare themselves to live in a world where religion, race, and other variables would be far more diverse.
For example, in the world of healthcare, cultural competency is extremely significant. Nurses, in specific, function as care providers, so a lack of awareness, either cultural or linguistic, can have a huge impact on their role to look for a patient in an effective way.
Step by step
Solved in 3 steps
