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Cultural competency and nursing care: an Australian perspective
Author(s) -
Chenowethm L.,
Jeon Y.H.,
Goff M.,
Burke C.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
international nursing review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1466-7657
pISSN - 0020-8132
DOI - 10.1111/j.1466-7657.2006.00441.x
Subject(s) - nursing , cultural competence , competence (human resources) , cultural diversity , health care , transcultural nursing , nursing care , medicine , psychology , sociology , social psychology , political science , pedagogy , anthropology , law
Aims: To propose a process that will facilitate cultural competence in Australian nursing practice. Background: Cultural diversity is a prominent feature of the Australian health system and is impacting significantly on nursing care quality. A fictitious, but typical clinical exemplar is profiled that identifies cultural insensitivity in care practices leading to poor quality outcomes for the health consumer and her family. Strategies are proposed that will reverse this practice and promote culturally competent nursing care and that locates overseas qualified nurses in this process. Conclusion: This paper contributes to nursing care quality internationally by articulating strategies to achieve cultural competence in practice. Nurses must pay attention to interpersonal relationships and develop respect for the health consumer's value systems and ways of being, in order to protect their rights and avoid the tendency to stereotype individuals from particular cultures. The expertise of qualified nurses from different cultures can greatly assist this process.