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Cultural Competence In Health Care Essay

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Understanding Cultural Competency in Healthcare Settings
Define culture
It is very difficult to define culture from just one perspective. Culture can never be generalized and categorized into specific groups and subgroups (Bryan, 2014). We can’t say there is one African American culture, or “the Asian American culture”. We have to be careful when categorizing a group of people as being this way or that way due to their culture as that would be stereotyping (Bonder, Martin, Miracle, (2001). However, each group has some general cultural similarities and practices that are common amongst themselves (Bryan, (2014).
Definitions of culture therefore depend on the views of the definer (Bryan, 2014). Some say culture is a “common view” of a people and a way of life by others (Campinha-Bacote, (2003). Others claim culture is a “common experience” that shapes similar attitudes, behaviors, and values (AIR, (2002). These values and attitudes are reinforced over time and carried forward from one …show more content…
In healthcare settings, again the goal of culturally competent health care services is to provide quality of care to every patient, regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural background, language or literacy level (Carrasquillo, Orav, Brennan, Burstin, (1999). Cultural competence improves healthcare delivery (Brach, & Fraser, (2000). In natural settings, the doctor is thinking from a rational western viewing in treating the patient (Collins, Hughes, Doty, Ives, Edwards, & Tenney, (2002). The patient also has cultural and religious beliefs that influence communication and interaction with the healthcare system (Collins, Hughes, Doty, Ives, Edwards, & Tenney, (2002). Western healthcare views often clash with cultures of the patient. Views on abortion, euthanasia, organ transplants, and experimentation are different from a “medical paradigm” view and cultural views of minority groups (Brannigan & Boss, (2001,

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