Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care

Book excerpt: Newly revised and updated, Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care, Second Edition, explores the cross-cultural interactions and conflicts between nurses and the diverse array of patients they may see. Culturally competent nurses can cut through preconceptions, reduce health disparities, and deliver high-quality care as they encounter patients from a range of backgrounds and beliefs. As frontline providers for diverse populations, nurses are expected to treat each patient with empathy and respect. This text addresses what it really means to be culturally competent in nursing practice. As representatives of specific cultural, racial, ethnic, and sociopolitical groups, nurses bring their own values, beliefs, and attitudes to all interactions with patients and with one another. Whether or not nurses choose to make their attitudes explicit, these attitudes ultimately influence the quality of care they provide to patients. The content of this book is grounded in the Staircase Model, which builds upon the nurse’s own self-assessment to identify personal limitations, find strategies to improve cultural competence, and progress to the next level. This text features case scenarios that apply the process of cultural competence to different healthcare situations. What’s New Three New Chapters Chapter 12: Caring for Patients Who Are Morbidly Obese Chapter 13: Caring for Veterans Chapter 14: Caring for Children Expanded content on caring for LGBTQIA community PowerPoint slides provided for instructors Key Features Addresses AACN competencies Provides easy-to-follow self-assessment using the Staircase Model Learning Objectives and Key Terms are identified in each chapter Overview of each chapter provides current information about trends in the United States on the topic under discussion Provides an excellent cultural competency preparation for student nurses in clinical situations as well as for practicing nurses at all levels and areas of nursing Presents content on immigration and transgender individuals