7 Key Reasons Cultural Awareness is Essential in Nursing


Written By: Darby FaubionDarby Faubion RN, BSN, MBA

Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Darby lives in Louisiana and loves exploring the state’s rich culture and history. Darby has a passion for caring for veterans and a special interest in those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. In her quest to make a difference for veterans, she founded a non-profit called “Operation Battle Buddy.” Read Full Bio »»
RN, BSN, MBA

Are you a nurse who works with a diverse patient population or whose team members come from various backgrounds? Do you want to find the best ways to connect with patients and your teams and to improve patient and professional outcomes? If so, one of the best ways to accomplish that is by practicing cultural awareness. Even in nursing school, you learned about cultural competence and awareness, but perhaps you wonder, “What are the key reasons why cultural awareness is essential in nursing?”

I understand what it is like to want to provide the best care possible to our patients, and in my experience, demonstrating cultural awareness helps us to do that. In this article, I will share 7 key reasons cultural awareness is essential in nursing. By embracing cultural awareness, you can build trust and bridge gaps to ensure your patients receive equitable, compassionate care and promote positive patient outcomes.



What are the Key Reasons Why Cultural Awareness is Essential in Nursing?

(The following are the 7 key reasons cultural awareness is essential in nursing.)


REASON #1: Helps Establish Strong Nurse-Patient Relationships

One of the main reasons cultural awareness is essential in nursing is because it helps promote stronger nurse-patient relationships. When you are intentional about demonstrating cultural awareness, it is easier to build rapport and trust with your patients. As a result, stronger nurse-patient relationships occur. Because good nurse-patient relationships are associated with better patient outcomes, putting forth the effort to demonstrate cultural awareness is essential.


REASON #2: Cultural Awareness Reflects Ethical Practice

As a nurse, you are ethically obligated to deliver patient care with the highest level of respect, honesty and integrity. Cultural awareness in nursing helps nurses understand the backgrounds, values, and beliefs of patients, which makes it easier to provide the type of care patients need and deserve. Additionally, cultural awareness aligns with ethical practices by ensuring that nurses communicate effectively with patients, allowing them to make informed decisions about their care, which is the patient's right.


REASON #3: Cultural Awareness Helps Increase Patient Satisfaction

When I began working in nursing leadership, I learned that patient satisfaction impacts much more than how many patients return for care or a hospital’s reputation. In fact, patient satisfaction is one factor that determines how hospitals and healthcare facilities are reimbursed for care. The Department of Health and Human Services uses the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey to determine patient satisfaction in hospitals. Approximately 30% of a hospital's Medicare reimbursement is based on those surveys.

When patients feel they are heard and respected, it relieves stress and anxiety, creating a more positive patient experience and increasing their satisfaction. Cultural awareness is essential in nursing as it impacts nurses at all levels. After all, without reimbursement for services, how would you get paid?


REASON #4: Cultural Awareness Helps Facilitate Patient-Centered Care

One thing I have learned that is of utmost importance when it comes to providing quality patient care is ensuring our interventions are patient-centered. Even if we do not completely understand or agree with someone else’s beliefs and customs, it is still our responsibility, as nurses, to respect them and plan care that is tailored to them.

Incorporating cultural awareness into patient care planning means respecting each patient’s cultural beliefs, traditions, and practices, and this personalized approach helps patients feel valued. When care plans reflect cultural awareness, it increases the chances of patient compliance, which helps improve their health outcomes.


REASON #5: Cultural Awareness Helps Reduce Health Disparities

Another top reason cultural awareness is essential in nursing is it helps nurses understand and address health disparities. Some barriers patients face in accessing healthcare services include mistrust or lack of understanding of the healthcare system, language barriers, socioeconomic barriers, and the lack of culturally sensitive services. By demonstrating cultural awareness, nurses can ensure that healthcare is respectful, equitable, and tailored to each patient's needs.


REASON #6: Practicing Cultural Awareness Helps Enhance Therapeutic Communication

Early in my nursing career, I worked at a large university hospital. At that hospital, I learned my greatest lessons about how cultural differences impact communication. I worked with doctors from all over the world, and the patient population at the hospital was also very diverse. By learning to show respect for the various cultural backgrounds of my patients and the staff with whom I worked, I built rapport and trust with them.

Cultural awareness is essential in nursing because, when we establish trusting relationships with our patients, it creates an atmosphere where they are more likely to share vital information about their healthcare needs and expectations. It also enhances empathy, which is essential for promoting therapeutic communication and reduces the risk of misunderstandings.


REASON #7: Cultural Awareness Promotes a More Cohesive Work Environment and Team Collaboration

Cultural awareness is essential in nursing because it allows us to bring diverse perspectives, viewpoints, and experiences to the table, which can positively impact how our teams collaborate with one another. As a nurse leader, I saw a difference in how cohesive the work environment was when my teams demonstrated cultural awareness and respect for one another. Cultural awareness helps nurses to recognize cultural conflicts within their teams, making it easier to focus on root causes and work together to find peaceful solutions.



My Final Thoughts


If you are a nurse who wants to build strong nurse-patient relationships and improve patient outcomes, practicing cultural awareness is crucial. As you think of ways to benefit your patients, team, and organization, you may wonder, “What are the key reasons why cultural awareness is essential in nursing?”

The 7 key reasons cultural awareness is essential in nursing that are featured in this article are just a few examples of why it is so important for nurses to be culturally aware and competent. Cultural awareness is a fundamental component of patient-centered care. When you embrace cultural diversity and practice cultural awareness, you help enhance patient experiences and promote an empathetic, inclusive healthcare environment, which promotes better patient outcomes and enriches your profession.



List Of Sources Used For This Article


1. “What is Cultural Competence in Nursing? (with Examples, Importance, & Barriers)” (nursingprocess.org)
2. “Practicing Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility in the Care of Diverse Patients” (National Library of Medicine)
3. “Culturally Competent Care Benefits: Reducing Health Disparities and Patient-Centered Care Examples” (Podcast: American Medical Association)


Darby Faubion, RN, BSN, MBA
Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Her work history includes clinical experience in pediatrics, mental health, addiction and behavioral disorders, geriatrics, wound management, and communicable disease. Darby has worked in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health and hospice agencies. Darby also has experience as a nursing and allied health educator at both community college and university levels. Her love for nursing and nursing education led to her becoming a test-taking strategist and NCLEX prep coach.