Cultural Competence and Me

Prejudices, biases and beliefs affect everyone in daily life, but it is important to be aware of harmful thoughts and actions. It is extra important for someone planning to go into the healthcare field, as we are likely to see more people of differing cultures and belief systems. In my Cultural Competence Self Assessment, I ended up with a total of 15 out of 23 right. This was lower than I expected, and I tended to error on some of the factual information asked (like question 13) and on the best practice techniques when working with someone who has limited English or through an interpreter. This surprised me since I have some experience in working with people who do not speak English fluently. But it is a good reminder that just because I think I do a good job does not mean that I cannot improve this skill. I need to make sure that I am careful to remain patient and work to include the patient better in the process. I also need to make sure I am reviewing breakdowns of disease by culture and not just age.