Culture and population health: Nursing

Culture is an evolving and complex phenomenon that encompasses the beliefs, assumptions, and values that are widely shared by groups of people over time. As the community health nurse, or CHN, you’ll provide culturally competent care to promote positive population health outcomes for individuals, groups, and communities.

Okay, so, there are some important concepts to keep in mind when caring for people from different backgrounds, to help you to be better equipped to practice cultural competence.

First, race describes a person’s biological variations that have their origins in genetic ancestry, like skin color or hair texture.

On the other hand, ethnicity refers to belonging to a group that shares cultural patterns, such as beliefs, values, and traditions, and is often influenced by factors, like geographic location, heritage, and education. Keep in mind that people of the same race can have different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

For instance, Black individuals are often wrongly viewed as sharing the same ethnicity and culture, even though they’re a culturally diverse group with ancestry and heritage that can be traced back through North America, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Speaking of cultural diversity, this term encompasses the variations among populations based on factors like race and ethnicity, as well as sexual orientation, social class, and physical and mental abilities.

Now, in order to provide effective and equitable care and promote positive population health outcomes for people of diverse cultural groups, you’ll work toward developing cultural competence. Although the process of developing cultural competence looks different for each person, it generally includes five key elements.

First, cultural awareness involves examining one’s own cultural background to discover how attitudes, biases, and prejudices can impact the provision of care.

Next, cultural knowledge is the process of gathering information about the worldviews and practices of different cultural groups. This information can come from patients themselves or through formal training or resources.

Then, cultural skill is where cultural awareness and knowledge are integrated and put into action to meet the needs of diverse groups of people. Another key element involves seeking out cultural encounters, like engaging in discussions and other interactions with people from diverse cultural groups. These encounters can help decrease stereotypical beliefs and promote empathy.

Lastly, cultural desire is when a genuine interest and motivation to understand and respect cultural differences is developed. Although it's impossible to understand everything about every culture, being open to learning enables nurses to collaborate with patients to make choices that align with and honor their values, ultimately enhancing health outcomes.

As the community health nurse, your goal is to provide culturally competent care to diverse groups of people to promote positive population health outcomes for individuals, groups, and communities.

Begin by performing a cultural self-assessment to consider how your own social and cultural heritage impacts your beliefs about health and illness, and how you relate to your patients.