Population Needs: Cross-Cultural Considerations

Providing culturally competent and holistic nursing care is emphasized early in nursing school. However, what defines culturally sensitive holistic nursing care is an ever-evolving phenomenon given the varying insights that exist about what truly makes up culturally appropriate nursing interventions. Nurse psychotherapists need to understand how culture shapes people’s beliefs and values, adding unique layers of health needs for Black, Indigenous, northern, and rural population groups among others. Nurse psychotherapists must respect clients’ cultures, values, beliefs, and treatment preferences to achieve therapy goals. This chapter will provide some common client factors that nurse psychotherapists need to consider when conducting psychotherapy assessments and treatment interventions. Examples of cultural attributes include language, gender, the meaning of eye contact, age, experiences of illness, health and wellness, medicine/treatment, psychosocial care, historical trauma, and cultural safety. Cross-cultural considerations are complex and dynamic, and only a few models explain their basic components well. Helpful cross-cultural consideration strategies that nurses can use during their client interactions by applying the RESPECT model and case scenarios will be discussed.