Cultural Competence in Health Sciences from our sister region SEA
NN/LM Southeastern/Atlantic Region (SE/A) Outreach and Communications Coordinator, David Midyette, has penned an article on the SEA Currents blog entitled: Cultural Competence in Health Sciences. Check it out: http://nnlm.gov/sea/newsletter/2013/02/cultural-competence-in-health-sciences/ Here’s an excerpt:
The old analogy of the United States as a melting pot is being transitioned into a more modern understanding of the U.S. as more of a salad. The various ethnic and cultural backgrounds of people in the country, legal, illegal, or otherwise, present the health care community with a plethora of beliefs about health and healing. Frequently these beliefs come into direct contact/conflict with the Western style of medicine that is the predominant practice in the U.S. healthcare system. State medical and allied health licensing boards are increasingly faced with the challenges of ensuring that new practitioners are culturally competent as they begin to practice their craft, and that experienced practitioners develop skills to deal with sometimes drastically different belief systems held by their patients.