10 Practical Examples of Cultural Humility in Nursing Practice
Written By:
Darby Faubion
Darby 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
While the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial that nurses maintain perspective and know how to approach patients in ways that foster healthy relationships and promote positive outcomes. One way to do this is by practicing cultural humility. As a nurse, you have most likely learned about cultural competence but may wonder how it differs from cultural humility. You may question, “What are the practical examples of cultural humility in nursing practice?”
I have been a nurse for more than 20 years, and I can tell you from experience that learning about and implementing cultural humility can significantly impact the relationships you have with your patients and peers. In this article, I will share with you 10 practical examples of cultural humility in nursing practice and give some insight into how they can make a difference.
What Are The Practical Examples Of Cultural Humility In Nursing Practice?
(The following are the 10 practical examples of cultural humility in nursing practice.)
EXAMPLE #1: Engage in Active Listening
Active listening is an essential part of
therapeutic communication in nursing that helps build good nurse-patient relationships. It is an excellent example of how to show cultural humility in nursing practice. When you actively listen to your patients, you validate their experiences and make them feel you respect their perspectives. Active listening builds trust, fosters effective communication and collaboration, and encourages patients to express their thoughts, feelings, and preferences regarding their health. As a result, patients become more involved in their care, have higher rates of compliance, and experience more positive health outcomes.
EXAMPLE #2: Practice Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is the intentional process of examining your own thoughts and experiences. As nurses, it involves a deep dive into our own emotions, successes, and the challenges we face when encountering patient care and how those things impact the way we view our patients. Self-reflection can be a powerful tool to demonstrate cultural humility in nursing practice because it allows us to become aware of how our own beliefs or biases may impact our feelings toward, or interactions with, our patients.
One thing I learned in practicing self-reflection is that understanding my own feelings made it easier for me to relate to the experiences and emotions of my patients, their loved ones, and even my peers. I believe it is important for nurses to grasp an understanding of the impact that self-reflection can have because, when we genuinely embrace self-reflection, it can help improve the way we approach culturally sensitive care and our ability to demonstrate empathy for others.
EXAMPLE #3: Get Patients Involved in Collaborative Decision-Making
Cultural humility in nursing practice requires us to acknowledge that we are not the sole authority when it comes to decision-making for patients. One way you can demonstrate cultural humility is to involve patients in every aspect of their care. Acknowledge their thoughts and unique perspectives regarding their health and the outcomes they hope to achieve. Using this approach fosters mutual trust and respect, which makes it easier to provide more personalized and culturally sensitive care.
EXAMPLE #4: Integrate Cultural Assessments into Your Practice
Cultural assessments are an excellent tool you can use to help gain a comprehensive understanding of your patient. This type of assessment takes into consideration not just your patient's physical symptoms or health history but also factors affecting their spiritual and emotional well-being. Cultural assessments can help you identify barriers that may hinder care and help mitigate health disparities. It has been my experience that using cultural assessments makes it easier to create care plans that are tailored to your patient's individual needs and wants, which increases compliance and improves health outcomes.
EXAMPLE #5: Make Accommodations for Your Patient’s Religious and Cultural Beliefs
No matter where a person comes from or what their beliefs are, one thing that is certain is that acknowledging others’ views as significant and valid is essential, especially in nursing. Culture and religion play a major role in the decisions patients make about whether to receive care and what type of care they feel is acceptable. As a nurse, when you recognize your patient’s individuality and make accommodations for their beliefs, you create an atmosphere that promotes trust, reduces misunderstandings, and improves compliance, which helps improve patient, organizational, and professional outcomes.
EXAMPLE #6: Advocate for Culturally Competent Nursing Care
Cultural competence refers to the ability of a person to understand and show respect for the beliefs, attitudes, and values of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. As nurses, we demonstrate cultural competence by providing nursing care to patients despite those differences. Cultural competence is essential to effective nursing, and a practical way to demonstrate cultural humility in nursing practice is to advocate for culturally competent nursing care.
Years ago, when I worked at a university hospital, I had opportunities to work on several projects with patient advocacy coordinators. However, there are many ways to get involved with advocacy. Some ways you can get involved and advocate for culturally competent nursing care include setting an example for colleagues by promoting a culturally sensitive work environment, advocating for resources that support diverse populations, such as providing culturally specific educational materials or interpreters, and seeking feedback from your patients and their loved ones to find out what is important to them and providing care that aligns with their beliefs and values.
EXAMPLE #7: Reflect on Your Personal Cultural Biases
I have been a nurse for many years, and throughout the years, I have learned things about not only my patients but also myself. As a nurse and healthcare educator, I believe it is especially important for us to be aware of our own personal biases and to keep ourselves in check. Reflecting on your personal cultural biases promotes self-awareness and helps you recognize any preconceptions you may have about your patients. A willingness to reflect on your biases creates an open mindset and helps you become more receptive to the experiences and perspectives of your patients. Reflecting on your personal
cultural biases is an excellent way to demonstrate cultural humility in nursing practice.
EXAMPLE #8: Build Relationships Based on Honesty and Integrity
One thing I have always stressed to my students and the staff I've worked with is the importance of building strong nurse-patient relationships. The best way to do that is by demonstrating honesty and integrity in your practice. Being honest requires you to demonstrate a level of transparency that patients tend to appreciate. It gives you the opportunity to acknowledge the limits of your knowledge or understanding of diverse cultures and shows a willingness to learn and integrate cultural respect and humility in your practice.
EXAMPLE #9: Foster an Inclusive Environment
One of the most important things you can do as a nurse is to create an environment that makes others feel respected and heard, regardless of their culture, background, identity, or personal preferences. Fostering an inclusive environment for patients and peers is an essential step in demonstrating cultural humility in nursing practice. When we create an inclusive environment, it encourages patients and healthcare workers from diverse backgrounds to share their viewpoints and experiences, which promotes better understanding and builds trust. Inclusive environments also challenge biases and stereotypes, improve communication between patients and providers, and motivate nurses to strive for growth both personally and professionally.
Something I have found especially helpful when trying to promote inclusivity is to get the patient's family or loved ones involved in care coordination and decision-making when appropriate. Many cultures have strong feelings about family ties, which means your patient may rely heavily upon a loved one to help them make important decisions. If they feel you respect their family values and are willing to include their loved ones, it improves the likelihood of their compliance with care, which promotes better health outcomes.
EXAMPLE #10: Be Proactive About Self-Education
Even before I became a nurse educator, I firmly believed that nurses had an obligation to themselves and their patients to engage in lifelong learning. I still feel as strongly today as I did all those years ago. One thing that no one can take from you is a lesson learned. Whether you learn about a patient diagnosis, a new medication, or a cultural belief, knowledge is power.
You can demonstrate cultural humility in nursing by educating yourself about various cultures. Your employer may offer cultural competency programs, which typically provide excellent resources and tips for breaking barriers caused by diversity. Get to know your colleagues and learn about their cultural experiences and insights. The more you learn, the better equipped you will be to address issues as they arise and the easier it will be to help patients overcome barriers that could otherwise interfere with effective care and compromise their health outcomes.
My Final Thoughts
As a nurse, there are many things to consider each day. Among the most important things for nurses to consider is how we can improve nurse-patient relationships, break down barriers, and mitigate health disparities. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to practice cultural humility. If you want to reach patients and connect with them on a deeper level, you may have wondered, “What are the practical examples of cultural humility in nursing practice?”
Cultural humility is demonstrated through behaviors and practices that value and respect the diverse experiences and cultural backgrounds of our patients. In this article, I shared 10 practical examples of cultural humility in nursing practice. By implementing some of these examples, you can help promote positive patient experiences, develop stronger nurse-patient and professional relationships, and help improve patient and organizational outcomes.
List Of Sources Used For This Article
1.
“30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing + How to Use Them” (
nursingprocess.org)
2.
“What Is Cultural Competence in Nursing? (with Examples, Importance, & Barriers)” (
nursingprocess.org)
3.
“Addressing Biases in Patient Care with the 5rs of Cultural Humility, a Clinician Coaching Tool” (
National Library of Medicine)
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.