Medical professionals’ cultural competence is essential for delivering quality care (Henderson et al., 2016). Nurses should be able to efficiently and respectfully communicate with patients and colleagues of different backgrounds. However, cultural differences between individuals can hinder communication leading to various complications in medical practice. Therefore, nursing students should be subjected to carefully designed diversity training (Arieli, 2013). This study aims to explore strategies that can be used to facilitate improvements in communication (Henderson et al., 2016).
The researchers conducted interviews with clinical nurses, nurse academics, clinical facilitators, and students, asking them about impediments and misunderstandings based on cultural differences they encountered during their education or practice. They were also asked to describe the ways they employed to overcome the difficulties. The research was conducted in Australia; the participants were people of Spanish, Australian, Asian, and Middle Eastern backgrounds. Three focus groups were used so as to ensure the objectivity of the findings.
The most often mentioned complications were related to the following areas: various prejudices (negative reaction to one’s age, appearance, or race), unawareness of cultural boundaries (standing too close to someone), “stereotyping cultural behaviors”, and language barriers (Henderson et al., 2016, p. 73). The most effective strategies used to overcome these difficulties included establishing intercultural connections, proactively seeking clarifications when necessary, and expanding cultural knowledge by asking questions or attending workshops and diversity training. The authors conclude that since their study was conducted in Australia, further research into various effective mitigating strategies applicable in other countries is necessary.
References
Arieli, D. (2013). Emotional work and diversity in clinical placements of nursing students. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 45(2), 192–201.
Henderson, S., Barker, M., & Mak, A. (2016). Strategies used by nurses, academics and students to overcome intercultural communication challenges. Nurse Education in Practice, 16(1), 71–78. Web.