Cultural Competency

Course Summary

Cultural competency in the healthcare system is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together that enable caregivers to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. The word culture is used because it implies the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, and values. The word competence is used because it implies having the capacity to function effectively. Caregivers need to value diversity, have the capacity to self-assess cultural issues through the use of cultural knowledge, and recognize the dynamics when cultures interact. These are essential elements when caring for clients of different cultures. Cultural competence in healthcare describes the ability of medical systems to provide care to clients with diverse values, beliefs, and behaviors, including specializing delivery to meet the client’s social, cultural, and linguistic needs.