March 8, 2012 – Caring for patients from diverse cultures can be a daunting task for nurses who may only have practiced in relatively homogeneous workplaces and face communication difficulties.
That’s why the Oregon Center of Nursing has begun offering a series of trainings for nurses who want to become more culturally competent. Training sessions are focused on Latino, Burmese and Somali/Bantu populations.
“When you talk about cultural competence and diversity there's a group of individuals who want to know things they can do to be more open to cultures in general,” said Kelley Ilic, program manager for the Oregon Center for Nursing. “Then there are people who say, ‘I really just want to know how to work with this specific group.’”
Even if a nurse may not encounter a patient from a diverse cultural background, the trainings have been helpful, Ilic said. “Our first webinar was really interesting in that we didn't get into the specifics of culture. “Instead, participants were presented with a framework for thinking about the different factors that can impact the way a patient interacts with a healthcare provider.
“Culture is an ever-moving target,” Ilic said. A training that just looks at a specific population group may not have lasting value. “Instead, it's understanding how to gather that information from the community on an ongoing basis.”
For example, people from rural areas may make different choices about their healthcare than those in urban communities, and people who are overweight may have been treated differently by their healthcare provider -- all of those factors can come into play, Ilic said.
“I think one thing people struggle with is just knowing where to start,” Ilic said. “It can take a lot of people outside their comfort zones.”
Thus far the webinar trainings have been well-attended – with people from as far away as Kentucky participating, and the trainings are still available by contacting the Oregon Center for Nursing.
“We're very excited about this series and we've been excited about the response that we've received so far,” Ilic said. “Even when the webinars have concluded in May, we hope it will be a resource for individuals for many years to come.”
For more information on the OCN’s Cultural Competency Network and events, please visit the OCN website at www.oregoncenterfornursing.org.
