2019/2020 NCE Report- HQP Quotes: Cultural Competency

one of the most important things I learned in this module is the importance of considering cultural differences and how we need to make it easier for patients to incorporate their own cultural practices/beliefs into their health care treatments. It was also really helpful to learn about the different progressions of cultural competency and that it goes beyond simply hiring minority staff or being accepting of different cultures. In the future, I will definitely be more cognizant of my own cultural competency and think of ways to improve research projects I am involved in to be culturally proficient.

…one of the particular aspects of this module that really shifted my perspective was the presentation of the idea that cultural competency occurs on a continuum. Prior to this module I had the preconceived notion of cultural competency as something a person or organization either possessed or did not possess (sort of like a yes or no feature). However, the presentation of a continuum of cultural competence is much more logical. In proceeding through the module and learning about the continuum I found myself making clear links to examples or experiences I have had in the past that would fall within each “category” on the continuum. When talking to others about cultural competence in the future, I will definitely make reference to and share the notion of the continuum. As a volunteer at a local hospice, I had not considered in the implications of gender identity or sexual orientation on end-of-life care and discussions. The webinar by Dr. De Vries and Dr. Gutman was extremely eye opening to the necessity of acknowledging the unique cultural considerations of this population at end-of-life. While in reflection it seems intuitive that this would be a population with unique needs and experiences, I simply had not been exposed to this situation in training or within my volunteer work. Moving forward, I will make a conscious effort to encourage others to learn about the implications of gender identify and sexual orientation on end-of-life planning. I will also be aware of the cultural differences that exist when interacting with LGBTQ individuals at the hospice. Lastly, this module has highlighted for me that I will never be an expert in the culture or experiences of other individuals. When interacting with individuals with cultural backgrounds unique from mine, I will ask about their beliefs and values in order to increase my knowledge and awareness with the intent of becoming a culturally proficient health researcher.