Question

view the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards (CLAS) categories aimed at equity and quality care (HHS, n.d.). Notice how these standards overlap with many of the expectations and standards in professional nursing practice!

• In what ways are you and your peers using these standards in your areas of nursing practice?
• Discuss one nursing action you might incorporate to improve cultural competence in your organizatio

Answer 1

National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards:

It aims to improve advance health equity and health care quality by establishing a framework of organisation to serve the nation's increasing diverse community. Following are the ways I would use this standard in the areas of nursing practice.

1. Principle standard

-provide effective and respectful quality care and services that are are responsive to diverse health belief, preferred languages, health literacy and other communication needs.

2. Governance, leadership and workforce

-promote, recruit and support a culturally and linguistically diverse governance ,leadership and workforce.

-educate and train governance leadership and workforce in culturally and linguistically appropriate policies and practices.

3.communication and language is assistance

-inform all individuals about the availability of language assistant services clearly on their preferred language ,both in writing and verbally.

-they offer language assistance to individuals who have limited English proficiency and other communication need at no cost.

-provide easy to understand print and multimedia materials.

4. Engagement, continuous improvement and accountability

-establish culturally and linguistically appropriate policies goals and infuse them throughout the organisation's planning.

-collect and maintain accurate demographic data to monitor and evaluate the impact of CLAS on health equity.

-partner with the community to implement, design and evaluate policies and practices.

-conduct regular assessment of community health assets and needs.

Nursing action to improve cultural competence:

-by performing a cultural competence self assessment : by determining our own strength and weakness when it comes to working with people who come from different culture. This is the most important way to improve cultural competence.

-improve communication and language barriers: it is best if you can speak their language or find a translator to help to communicate with patients who have limited english proficiency. We can also use some pictures ,gestures to improve communication with the patient and reduced language barriers.

Other ways to improve cultural competence are :obtain a certificate in cultural competence, participate in online chats and networks, and directly engage in cross-cultural interaction with patient.