What is the importance of cultural competence in nursing?

Cultural competence is becoming an invaluable tenet of modern nursing due to increasing minority populations in the United States and an emphasis on patient-centric, individualized care in hospitals. Nurses must establish rapport with a more diverse patient population and accurately assess and diagnose patients from a variety of ethnic groups.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has begun emphasizing cultural and linguistic competency in nurse and social worker training. If nurses do not have a clear understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds, effective and equal care cannot be given to all populations. The American Nurses Association has developed a conceptual framework that individualizes patient care plans in order to increase the quality of care and streamline communication between all parties.