Organizational cultural competence refers to the ability of a healthcare facility to deliver healthcare services which are considerate of the cultural, linguistic as well as the social needs of the patients. Cultural competence is one way which healthcare facilities can improve on efficiency and effectiveness in the service delivery. Cultural competence presents several benefits to the community as well as to the organization. A culturally diverse organization implies that it can connect on a personal level with all the members of the community. As a result, the organization can enjoy a quick decision making when handling matters in the community (Betancourt et al., 2016). Cultural competence improves respect within the organization ranks. This is because different members of the community are included in the activities of the organization. Through consideration of different members of the organization, the organization enjoys increased creativity in decision making. Cultural competence also promotes trust and cooperation between the different members of the organization (Purnell et al., 2011).
Cultural competence is required in an organization when a crisis has occurred, the health facility has a shared vision and a common goal. An organization which is aiming to achieve cultural competence has to take into consideration all its areas. This implies that the organization has to set the mood of cultural competence in the mission statement, vision statement and the values of the organization. Healthcare organizations should, therefore, set a clear vision of becoming culturally competent. The healthcare organizations should set cultural competence vision (Clark & Degannes, 2015). The activities aimed at achieving the vision should be guided by the values of the organizations. Therefore, the values should also be reflective of the vision of the healthcare organization. An example of a culturally competent vision statement is “an organization which is willing to serve the diversified members of the community which it is based at.”
Cultural competence is a long-term goal to an organization. An organization has to undertake in continuous steps which will lead to progressive improvements. The organization has to begin by making little adjustments in the most basic areas. This is expected to set the foundation for the other steps to follow. The most basic level in an organization is the individual level. The organization should aim at promoting respect and cooperation between the individuals. This includes the relationships between the healthcare professions and patients as well. Healthcare organizations have established mission statements which are aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion (Purnell, 2012). The messages contained in the mission statements are left in areas where they can be read by as many people as possible. This includes the organization’s website, in publications of the organization such as annual reports. The messages are also put in strategic locations of the organization premises which include the waiting rooms, walls and along pathways.
Policies and procedures are instrumental in promoting the diversity and inclusion in the healthcare sector. The organization should include policies which promote cultural diversity. These policies should be aimed at handling the behaviors of healthcare professionals in relation to language usage, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. The recruitment of healthcare professionals should be done on an equitable and open basis. Equal opportunities should be granted to all the members of the community (Pecukonis et al., 2008). The employees should also be representative of the community around. The desired attributes to be observed in the employees include extensive experience working in diversified environments. Diversified employees imply that the organization will be able to cater to the diversified needs of the clients (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2014).
The procedures involved in the organization should reflect the vision to achieve cultural competence. For example, the customer care department should be keen to address clients with personalized attention. This can be achieved if the professional handling the client understands the culture and language of the clients. Therefore, it would be necessary to recruit from the community of the clients. Training and development would also be necessary on the part of the employees. Cultural competence is a continuous process which would require the continuous training of the employees. This would equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary for the dynamic environment. Speaking is the most basic form of communication in many organizations. The organization should, therefore, encourage the language of the surrounding communities. Therefore, the local dialects as well accents are encouraged in the organization. Speaking fluently in the generally accepted language should not be the determinant of success at the job. the determining factor should be the actual job performance (Betancourt et al., 2005).
Cultural competence is an area which will require a diverse array of activities. The healthcare organizations will be required to conduct other activities besides healthcare delivery. These activities include the creation of awareness to the society on the importance of diversity in the organization. the healthcare organization will be involved in activities involving the community. This will play the role of improving the relationships between the organization and the community. Healthcare organizations should aim at forming partnerships with other instrumental organizations in the society (Kirmayer, 2014). Engaging the society will be on specific groups rather than the entire organization in order to promote efficiency in connecting with the individual members of the community. They include churches, schools, and community-based groups. This way, they would be able to sensitize the community ion the importance of healthy living. Through such activities, the organization will be able to get closer to the individual members of the community. Determination of the level of cultural competency will be on the efficiency of healthcare service delivery. Moreover, the organization should be a representation of the community that it is serving through the employees and the services that they offer.
Organizational cultural competence faces different challenges, especially in the healthcare sector. Cultural competency is a goal of many organizations yet it is still far from fruition for many organizations. The most common barriers to achieving cultural competency in the healthcare sector include language and cultural barriers. Language barriers refer to the inability to understand the language which is used by the members of the community (Purnell, 2014). This will create difficulties in understanding the clients. Cultural barriers refer to the differences in cultural practices and behaviors between the healthcare staff and the clients. Cultural barriers create an environment of misunderstanding between the stakeholders of the organization. in order to overcome these barriers, the organization should aim at creating awareness throughout the community. Establishing the policies which promote diversity in the organization is key in overcoming the barriers. Recruiting of employees who are representative of the community will ensure that there is an understanding between the employees and the clients. Moreover, the training of employees to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle the diversified needs of the clients (Horvat et al., 2014).
References
Betancourt, J. R., Green, A. R., Carrillo, J. E., & Owusu Ananeh-Firempong, I. I. (2016). Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. Public health reports.
Betancourt, J. R., Green, A. R., Carrillo, J. E., & Park, E. R. (2005). Cultural competence and health care disparities: key perspectives and trends. Health Affairs, 24(2), 499-505.
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2014). Improving cultural competence.
Clark, M. E., & Degannes, C. N. (2015). Cultural competency in healthcare: a clinical review and video vignettes from the National Medical Association.
Horvat, L., Horey, D., Romios, P., & Kis?Rigo, J. (2014). Cultural competence education for health professionals. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (5).
Kirmayer, L. J. (2012). Rethinking cultural competence.
Pecukonis, E., Doyle, O., & Bliss, D. L. (2008). Reducing barriers to interprofessional training: Promoting interprofessional cultural competence. Journal of interprofessional care, 22(4), 417-428.
Purnell, L. D. (2012). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach. FA Davis.
Purnell, L. D. (2014). Guide to culturally competent health care. FA Davis.
Purnell, L., Davidhizar, R. E., Giger, J. N., Strickland, O. L., Fishman, D., & Allison, D. M. (2011). A guide to developing a culturally competent organization. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 22(1), 7-14.
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