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Weekly Q&A: Supporting cultural competence

HCPro's Weekly Update on the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®*, June 13, 2006

This week, a reader asks how to illustrate support of staff cultural competence. Read the response below from our advisor, Barbara Wadsworth, RN, MSN, MBA, CNAA,BC, vice president/CNO, Abington Memorial Hospital, Abington, PA.

Q: In our written documentation, how might we demonstrate the organization's support of staff cultural competence?

A: Cultural competence is incredibly important in healthcare today. Share an experience demonstrating your organization's openness to cultural competence and what it means in the organization. The description can be the introduction of a program, or a commitment by the organization to develop culturally-competent services and staff. Another possibility is to share the results of a survey highlighting the cultural concerns present in your organization and strategies to address them. For example, consider sharing an organizational strategy to enhance cultural competence that details an organized plan (e.g., goals and timelines). A sample of the diversity education provided to the staff could supplement stories that demonstrate how your staff take an active role in assisting a patient, family, or staff member with cultural sensitivity.

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