CULTURAL COMPETENCE
Many people arc taught by and have knowledge of a dominant culture. As long as the person is operating within that culture, responses occur without thought to a variety of situations and do not require examination of the cultural context. However, in today's climate of multiculturalism, there is increasing emphasis from health care providers and organizations for nurses to provide culturally competent care. For example, a recent Mexican immigrant who speaks little English goes to a community health center because of a urinary tract infection. The nurse understands that she must use strategies that would allow her to effectively communicate with the client. She also understands that the client has the right to receive effective care that is based upon culturally informed nursing science, to judge whether she had received the care she wanted, and to follow up with appropriate action if she did not receive the expected care. Nurses must be culturally competent to modify nursing interventions that are specific to the needs of cultural and ethnic groups. Such actions have the potential to decrease racial and health disparities and foster effective health outcomes (Brondolo, Gallo, and Myers, 2009).