cultural competency self assessment (Essay Sample)

Cultural competency self-assessment Student’s name Institutional Affiliation Cultural competency self-assessment The score for all the aspects of the self-assessment was 2. I agreed to all the components whose objective was to measure cultural competency. According to this performance, I perceive it as an above average indication of cultural competency. This assessment tool effectively measures the level of cultural competency, and although I was pleased with my performance, I was not surprised since I had prior knowledge of the expectations from a culturally competent health care provider. Cultural competency usually calls for the appreciation of others’ cultures as well as one’s culture. In service delivery, the clients’ culture should be considered in order to avoid ethnocentrism. The client should be involved fully in the care not only as a gesture of cultural competency but also to ensure there is autonomy in decision making. This way the service provider demonstrates an understanding of cultural diversity since they are aware that different clients are supposed to be offered care based on their culture. Therefore it is imperative for one to have prior knowledge about the culture before providing the services by usually taking comprehensive history on the client’s background in the effort to gather adequate information concerning language, beliefs, and practices. The benefits that ensue from cultural diversity and competency are client satisfaction and better outcomes. However, some areas should be improved according to the assessment tool in order to achieve more cultural diversity and competency. Firstly, one should be provided care and services regardless of their sexual orientation while considering their perspectives as long as they don’t inflict others’ rights. Client dignity should be upheld by all means by showing them respect and acceptance of whom they are. Nevertheless, there are individuals whose sexual orientation depends on their mental status. It can be affected by an underlying psychiatric pathology and therefore knowledge about these situations is vital to make critically handle the client through proper advice and counseling. This distinction can be made only, by having enough information about the different circumstances under which one exhibits particular sexual orientation, factors that influence such tendencies and what should be done to curb undesirable tendencies without harming the client in any manner whether psychologically, emotionally or physically. Due to these reasons, I perceive I should improve in this area by acquiring relevant information about sexual orientation and pathologies related to it. Secondly, communication skills are essential attributes required in cultural competency. I should learn more skills which are useful in the collection of information from clients and their relatives in order to understand much about their cultural beliefs, values, norms and perspectives. This will also enable me to employ various techniques to communicate appropriately and more efficiently with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds while ensuring that I am sensitive to culture. Besides, the skills are essential in client education provision for them to also understand about cultural diversity. Health care providers should be...