PROVIDING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE NURSING CARE 1
Providing Culturally Appropriate Nursing Care Through Cultural
Competence and Culturally Sensitive Communication
Michael R. Shepherd
Langston University
PROVIDING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE NURSING CARE 2
Providing Culturally Appropriate Nursing Care Through Cultural
Competence and Culturally Sensitive Communication
The United States is becoming an increasingly diverse society as the US Census Bureau
(2018) projects the U.S. population as a whole to become majority-minority in 2044. Nursing is
constantly evolving and so are the patients. It is important to recognize cultural differences,
because “understanding a patient’s cultural background can facilitate communication and support
establishing an effective nurse-patient relationship” (Black, 2017, p. 264). It is necessary for
nurses to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide culturally appropriate care to
optimize health outcomes. Research has shown that cultural competence and effective
communication are important factors to providing culturally appropriate care. The purpose of
