1. Multicultural Competence
Developed by Tim Corbett RN, MA, LMHC

2. What is Multicultural Competence?
demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the patient’s culture, health-related needs, and culturally specific meanings of health and illness
accepting and respecting cultural differences not assuming that the health care provider’s beliefs and values are the same as the patient’s

3. What is Multicultural Competence?
resisting judgmental attitudes
welcoming and being comfortable with cultural encounters
adapting care to be congruent with the patient’s culture
striving to reduce prejudice and bias
caregivers need both “culture-general” and “culture-specific” information to provide competent and sensitive care

4. ASPECTS OF MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION
dominant language
regional dialects
contextual use of language
paralanguage variations: tone, volume, intonations and inflections
willingness to share thoughts and feelings
nonverbal cues: eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, use of touch, body language, spatial distance, acceptable greetings

5. ASPECTS OF MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION
temporality: orientation towards
past, present, and future or clock versus social time
amount of formality (use of names & titles)