Cultural Competence In Health Care Analysis

Introduction The first step in creating cultural competence in a health care facility is to understand a little bit about the cultures of the patients being cared for. This paper will look at Italian and Chinese cultures to give a better understanding of what steps need to be taken to provide a positive health outcome for these patients in a facility in the United States. Areas of discussion include; demographics of the country, factors that impact the health of the countries people, each countries health system, as well as some of their cultural beliefs, values and practices. Finally, it will look at possible steps in creating a culturally competent environment for these and all cultures.

Demographics of Italy Italy is located in South …show more content…
Some of the religions that they are affiliated with include Pentecostal, Orthodox, and Jewish but the main religion is Roman Catholicism with the hub of the Roman Catholic Church located at Vatican City in Rome (Zimmerman, 2015). Many Italians pray to the Virgin Mary and saints in addition to God. It is not uncommon for them to build a grotto, or shrine to the Blessed Mother in their backyards. Along with religious beliefs, there is also a mix of supernatural beliefs that many Italians have that go back many centuries. These include the evil eye, charms, spells, getting messages in dreams, and …show more content…
Outside of business situations, people in this culture live in the here and now and it is not uncommon for someone to be a late for an appointments or social events. Relaxing and living a leisurely, stress free life is more important than being on time. Personal space and time are not relevant in the Italian culture. People will sit close to others and often touch their arm as they talk to them. This is even true when talking to strangers (Purnell, 2013. In the Italian culture it is considered rude to address someone by their first name unless they have been invited to do so. Respect is a very important value, particularly with older people. When meeting someone for the first time it is customary to greet them with a handshake and make direct eye contact which is not only a sign of respect but also shows sincerity. Italians can be very dramatic, passionate people and often make hand gestures, or “talk with their hands”, which may make them appear hostile or angry to outsiders (Purnell,