Given the diversity in our world today, take a moment and ask yourself: Are you a culturally competent nurse or nursing student? Do you demonstrate cultural humility?

You may have explored the concepts of cultural competence and humility in nursing school, but let’s take it a step further and consider how to apply these concepts in everyday interactions with members of diverse groups and communities.

Whether working in a hospital, walking into a local store, or interacting with neighbors, cultural competence and humility are cornerstones of building strong relationships. Practically speaking, this isn’t a skill you check off your to-do list once. Instead, developing cultural competence and humility is a lifelong process and journey involving continuous reflection, learning, and unlearning. It makes the individuals and groups we interact with feel seen, heard, and valued.

What is Cultural Competence vs Cultural Humility?

Cultural competence is about equipping yourself with knowledge of diverse cultural practices and beliefs, which enables you to provide respectful and appropriate care to patients from varied backgrounds. According to the American Academy of Nursing, cultural competence includes integrating knowledge, attitudes, and skills to facilitate intercultural communication and interactions between people from different racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and religious backgrounds. It’s understanding different cultural customs, traditions, beliefs, and behaviors and utilizing this knowledge to communicate effectively with others.

Here’s what cultural competency as a nurse might look like:

• Using appropriate words and phrases that are familiar to the individual
• Respecting an individual’s choices and preferences (e.g., diet, treatment)
• Refraining from labeling an individual who comes from a particular group
• Advocating for an interpreter to translate to facilitate informed decision-making
• Acknowledging what is acceptable and not acceptable to say or do with an individual  from another culture/background

Cultural humility, a new concept introduced more than thirty years ago, embraces the idea that we must all critically explore and critique ourselves as the first step to learning from and about others. It’s more than being knowledgeable about other cultures and practices. Cultural humility is being ‘others-oriented’ instead of “me-oriented” and recognizing that our understanding of different cultures constantly evolves. It’s a lifelong process of critical self-reflection and an openness to learning from the experiences of others. Humility acknowledges the power imbalances, emphasizing the importance of being receptive to learning from those who may not look, act, or believe in the same things we do.

• Demonstrating cultural humility can include:
• Participating in cultural competency training
• Actively listening to an individual’s beliefs and practices without judgment
• Respecting individual autonomy and cultural values when making decisions
• Asking open-ended questions to understand an individual’s cultural preferences
• Customizing healthcare delivery to align with the individual’s cultural, religious, or linguistic needs

These examples above, rooted in an attitude of openness and self-reflection, can lead to strengthening and maintaining effective relationships built on trust, respect, and collaboration.