In today’s world, cultural competence is essential for a healthy and productive workforce. Here are three ways your healthcare organization can get started on cultural competence:
“Cultural competence” is a term that most times gets tossed around in the medical world but what does it really mean? It’s not just about being culturally aware, it’s also about making sure you are practising cultural humility. So what does that entail? This article will cover some ways that nurses and healthcare providers can get started with being culturally competent today!
How can I get started on cultural competence? Follow these three easy ways and get started: –
Train Your Staff
Enrol your staff in cultural competence training. The Network Nurse offers a course on cultural competency for health care professionals, which includes ways to better understand and work with different cultures in the globalized world today.
Be transparent about your company’s culture. Make sure all stakeholders know what is expected from them when it comes to how they interact with others. Offer the opportunity to learn more about other cultures through books or podcasts like TED Talks so everyone has an understanding of what “cultural intelligence” means in today’s workplace
Hold Managers Accountable for Understanding Cultural Competence.
Your organizations’ leadership should embody cultural competence. This can be accomplished by training managers and other leaders on cultural competence
Provides multicultural training specifically. Hold managers accountable for understanding cultural competence. Your organizations’ leadership should embody cultural competence. This can be accomplished by training managers and other leaders on cultural competence.
Implement a diversity recruitment strategy to attract, retain, train, and promote employees from diverse groups of people including ethnic minorities.
Include All Groups In Your Culture
Ensure various ethnicities are represented in your workforce and on your leadership team. Create a culture where people are encouraged to ask questions, voice their ideas, and share how they feel. Make it clear that everyone is welcome at all levels of the company so no one feels like an outsider.
Embrace Cultural Competency!
Cultural competence can be an intimidating topic, but it doesn’t have to be. We want you to feel confident about your ability to provide culturally competent care for all patients and families in the future. This is why we offer a comprehensive course on cultural competency that will have you equipped with all cultural competence basics.
The Network Nurse website offers many other resources as well; from podcasts highlighting different cultures around the world, articles with insights into how culture impacts health and wellness, or even just information on what some of our favourite books are. Follow us on social media and get all the updates on our courses, highlights and podcasts.
