Cultural Competency Re-assessment & Presentation
Purpose
The purpose of the assignment is to reflect on the change in your assessment scores
from week 1 to week 11 with the course content as the backdrop.
Cultural Competency Re-assessment
Retake the Cultural Competency Assessment that you completed in Unit 1.
Next, reflect on the change in your scores and answer the following questions, using
specific examples.
You should have a 3- to a 4-slide presentation (excluding the title and the references
slides).
Slide 1 should have the assignment’s title, your name, the institution’s name, and your
tally results.
On the next slides, address the following prompts thoroughly, in the given order.
How much has your cultural competency changed since Unit 1 of this course?
Which material covered in this course resulted in the change in your cultural
competency scores? Any specific course materials, discussion posts, or expert videos?
What factors hindered your cultural competency in the past?
How will your cultural competency from this course affect your career now or in the
future?
What new ideas will you take with you after completing this course?
How can you help to create a more inclusive workplace and society from the knowledge
you gained in this class?
Cultural Competency Re-Assessment & Presentation
Introduction
Reducing the existing health disparities that have been witnessed and attaining
equitable healthcare services are a significant aspect of any healthcare system. Cultural
competence is the foundation of reducing the disparities through the incorporation of
unbiased safe and quality care that is culturally sensitive (Thorpe & Loo, 2003). Moreover,
culturally sensitive care is expected to respect the cultural differences while considering the
various factors that include attitudes, languages, behaviors, and beliefs that result in wellness
and health (Giger & Davidhizar, 2004). Healthcare professionals are expected to undertake
cultural competency assessments to ensure that they understand the existing differences in the
cultures of the population they will be serving. When I started the course, I did take part in a
cultural competency assessment. This paper will discuss my cultural competency re-
assessment.
CULTURAL COMPETENCY 2
Cultural Competency Re-Assessment
At the beginning of the course, I did take a cultural competency assessment. The first
cultural competency assessment I took part in, I managed to score 56 points, which was at the
beginning of the course. After the eleven-week course, I have taken another cultural
competency assessment and scored 71. I have noticed that my cultural competency has
changed a great deal since I started the course with a difference of 15 points. I am the only
sort of one point to have achieved the highest in every assessment criteria.
I must state that every material that was presented to me at the course contributed to
the change that has been realized in my competency assessment scores. However, the
discussion posts with students from different cultural backgrounds and expert videos played a
significant role. Several factors affected my cultural competency in the past. Some of the
factors include:
Lack of awareness
In the past, I did not appreciate the cultural diversities and, more specifically, how it
impacts on the healthcare system. Indeed I rarely took part in the cultural activities within my
community.
Lack of Knowledge
I must indicate that this course has changed my perception of cultural competency. In
the past, I had not undergone any formal training on culture and its importance in different
aspects of life, including healthcare.
Inadequate interactions
My cultural competency was hindered by the lack of adequate interactions with
persons from other cultures. During the course, I have managed to get an opportunity to
interact with persons from different cultures both in the institution and patients too.
Time
CULTURAL COMPETENCY 3
Time is another factor that hindered my cultural competency. Before joining this
course, I was so involved in my family chores that I hardly got time to interact with other
people to appreciate the cultural differences
Language barrier
Language is the final factor that impacted on my cultural competency. Before joining
the course, I mostly interacted with people from my culture, and the neighbors who were
from different cultural backgrounds spoke in their language, thereby hindering my interaction
with them. However, during the course, I have managed to interact with people from other
cultural backgrounds but can communicate in the English language.
Cultural competency that has managed to achieve in this course has significantly
affected my career and am looking forward to being more competent in my future career
within the health profession (Pedulla, 2014). I have been able to appreciate the cultural
beliefs that exist among different consumers of healthcare. Moreover, I understand very well
the significance of understanding cultural diversity and respecting the differences.
There are several new ideas that I will incorporate in my interactions with people
from different cultures after completing the course. First, I understand that every person is
culturally unique and should be treated with respect and a clear sense of their culture. Second,
communication is essential in cultural competency. Indeed how an individual communicates
with others, including the patients, should be culturally respectful. Thirdly, people from
different cultures respond differently in the context of space and time (Thorpe & Loo, 2003).
People behave differently from time and space; some people value their personal space and
time.
Inclusive workplace and society is something that should be given increased
significance. Therefore, to achieve an inclusive workplace and society, I will encourage my
organization to recruit people from different cultural backgrounds. Further, I will encourage
CULTURAL COMPETENCY 4
the organization to encourage people to practice their culture by coming up with cultural
weeks when people in society and workplace appreciate other people’s cultures. Finally, I will
help people from my society to learn each other’s culture and respect the existing differences.
Conclusion
Students need to understand their culture, values, and biases as well as that of people
from other cultural backgrounds through knowledge and reflection by incorporating cultural
competency assessment. The course has been a blessing to my career since I now appreciate
cultural competency, and my score has improved significantly. I will recommend this course
to any person within my profession.
References
Giger, J. N., & Davidhizar, R. E. (2004). Transcultural nursing: assessment and intervention
(4th Ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
Pedulla, S. D. (2014). The Positive Consequences of Negative Stereotypes: Race, Sexual
Orientation, and the Job Application Process. Social Psychology Quarterly, 77(1): 75-
94.
Thorpe, K., & Loo, R. (2003). The values profile of nursing undergraduate students:
Implications for education and professional development. Journal of Nursing
Education, 42(2), 83-90.