Fight Health Disparities: Be Culturally Aware

The Wisconsin Student Nurses’ Association (WSNA) has chosen Cultural Awareness as our community project this year. Our slogan is “Fight Health Disparities: Be Culturally Aware.” There is mounting evidence that disparities in health outcomes exist for minorities in the United States. However, through research, WSNA has found that nurses who are culturally sensitive and provide culturally competent care can improve health outcomes and decrease these disparities.  WSNA encourages you to look within, become educated, and teach others the importance of being culturally aware. 

Cultural Awareness/Competency Defined:

Cultural Awareness/Competence is a dynamic process in which a nurse learns to incorporate a complex combination of knowledge, attitudes, and skills in order to provide positive and receptive cares across cultures. 

What are health disparities?

Health disparities refer to inequalities between one’s health status and wellness. 

How to “Be Culturally Aware”:

Cultural Awareness begins from within. It is highly essential for a nurse to be aware of their own values and beliefs because they can influence your behaviors and may display as biases towards different minorities. These biases can affect the nurse’s ability to provide culturally appropriate health care to clients.

 To become a culturally aware nurse, one must acquire some basic facts and practical attitudes about the population in which one provides care.  The nurse must be aware of the cultural influences on the client’s perception of health, illness, disease, and death. No two individuals are alike and a nurse must have appreciation and respect for these differences.

 

References:

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Office of Minority Health offers a free online educational program labeled, Culturally Competent Nursing Care: A Cornerstone of Caring, designed specifically for nurses and is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the National Association of Social Workers (2009).  Go to https://www.thinkculturalhealth.org

Office of Minority Health, https://www.thinkculturalhealth.org

National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities, http://www.omhrc.gov/np