Cultural Competence

- Awareness of one’s own cultural values
- An overall sensitivity to and acceptance of the influence of a person’s culture on health and wellness
- A willingness to try to understand another’s perspective and that people of different cultures have different ways of communicating, behaving, and problem solving
- Commitment to a life-long pursuit of understanding different cultures and developing skills to improve cultural competence
- The ability to provide care that is meaningful and fits with the cultural beliefs and lifestyle of the patient.
- Balance between an individual’s autonomy or freedom to practice personal beliefs vs. the right of a community to be protected from harm.