Perhaps the most significant lack of cultural competency I deal with is limited speaking or non-speaking English patients, specifically Spanish speaking. For the patient’s initial consultation and weekly on treatment visits we utilize the hospital provided translation service. Patient’s treatment regimen lasts anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks. Since we do not have any Spanish speaking employees at our center, we do rely on family members to help relay basic instruction in the treatment room if necessary. TIP #5 from the attached link made me laugh. I recall a patient telling a coworker recently “I have cancer, I’m not deaf”.
Cultural competence and globalization are the forefront of providing the best care to patients of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Cancer care requires a multi-disciplinary approach that requires …show more content…
We as health care providers have to be careful when working under the pressures of time constraints and increased patient loads, that we do not develop tunnel vision where we unconsciously stereotype and/or are culturally insensitivity. Now that being said, reducing culturally competence based stereotyping in medical care is vital both ethically and morally. Another way we can avoid stereotyping is to look at the differences that exist in each culture. Additionally, realizing that individuals of the same culture can have different beliefs and values. I believe we can be culturally competent, absent of stereotyping, through our interactions by communication and how we provide individualized patient care. The patient population continues to become more diversified and it is imperative that cultural competence is free of bias and
Cultural competence and globalization are the forefront of providing the best care to patients of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Cancer care requires a multi-disciplinary approach that requires …show more content…
We as health care providers have to be careful when working under the pressures of time constraints and increased patient loads, that we do not develop tunnel vision where we unconsciously stereotype and/or are culturally insensitivity. Now that being said, reducing culturally competence based stereotyping in medical care is vital both ethically and morally. Another way we can avoid stereotyping is to look at the differences that exist in each culture. Additionally, realizing that individuals of the same culture can have different beliefs and values. I believe we can be culturally competent, absent of stereotyping, through our interactions by communication and how we provide individualized patient care. The patient population continues to become more diversified and it is imperative that cultural competence is free of bias and