Cultural competence and cultural humility are central in engaging and communicating
with community members and leaders. Provide your own definition of cultural humility
in the context of public health. How does your definition compare to the points made
about cultural humility in the Topic Material entitled “Reflections on Cultural
Humility”? In addition to cultural humility, describe one other principle necessary
when communicating public health content to engage communities to act. Describe a
real example of this principle in action.
PUB655-Cultural Humility and Cultural Competency
Cultural humility is a process of analyzing how a person’s diversity of background,
language, and way of life may affect health behaviors. Therefore, this awareness should be
used to cultivate approaches to treating the patient and not the illness. Cultural humility, as
defined, is compared to the point made in the topic material entitled ‘Reflections on Cultural
Humility’ as follows; cultural humility is a continuous commitment to self-evaluation and
critique. There is no endpoint, and it is a constant process of learning (Isaacson, 2014).
Cultural humility should fix a power imbalance where none should exist. In the process of
cultivating approaches to treating the patient, both the health care provider and the healthcare
receiver do not have power over each other. The health care provider holds knowledge. In
contrast, the health care receiver holds history, but both must collaborate to bring the best
outcome.
Cultural competency is another principle necessary when communicating public
health content to engage communities to act. Cultural competency is defined as a process in
which healthcare providers are sensitive to their values and biases and how they influence the
healthcare receiver (Isaacson, 2014). Health care providers know the health care receiver’s
expectation of the health care process. Also, the health care provider knows to intervene in a
culturally sensitive manner.
PUB655-CULTURAL HUMILITY 2
On December 14, 2000, national standards on culturally and linguistically appropriate
services (CLAS) in health care was established by the Office of Minority Health of the
Department of Health and Human Services. The standard intends to correct current
inequalities in the health services system and make these services available to patients’
individual needs. The standards are designed to be inclusive of all cultures, which is an
example in action of cultural competency.
References
Isaacson, M. (2014). Clarifying concepts: Cultural humility or competency. Journal of
Professional Nursing, 30(3), 251-258.