Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care: Working with Diverse and Vulnerable Populations

Recipient of the 2019 AJN Book of the Year Award: Nursing Management and Leadership!Focusing on what it really means to be culturally competent in nursing practice, this text uses a unique framework to help nurses develop and apply these critical skills and provides numerous techniques for cultural self-assessment and cultural patient assessment. The third edition---imbued with lessons learned from the devastation wrought by COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd and their impact on nurses as frontline workers---is updated to reflect present-day dynamics. It includes three new chapters along with new case studies addressing the changing environment of diversity and inclusion. The third edition also expands on the development of critical thinking skills, aligning with the new format for the Next Generation NCLEX-RN exam.Focusing primarily on developing nurses’ skills in providing care for diverse patients and populations, the text also identifies the inequities and disparities in healthcare access and clinical outcomes experienced by some groups along with strategies for their mitigation. A key element culturally competent practice is enlightened, personal insight of the nurse. The book addresses the application of a self-assessment model (the Staircase Model), enabling nurses to explore their personal biases and limitations and to develop skills in overcoming them. The book explores the use of culturally competent practice in a variety of health care scenarios, considering both nurse-patient encounters and the relationships between health care professionals that can be challenged by differences in race, gender, ethnicity, or language barriers.New to the Third Edition: New chapter: Cultural Considerations When Caring for the Elderly New chapter: Cultural Considerations for Advanced Practice Nurses New chapter: Caring for Victims of Human Trafficking New case studies addressing ways to achieve culturally competent practice Expands on the development of critical thinking skills aligning with the new format for Next Generation NCLEX-RN Key Features: Emphasizes self-reflection as a first step in developing cultural competence Guides readers in using the Staircase Model to promote cultural competence when working with diverse patients Considers the wide variety of populations at risk in contemporary society with strategies for change Highlights critical aspects of case scenarios at the end of each chapter Includes Next Generation NCLEX-RN type questions Examines nurses’ roles in addressing health care disparities

About the Author

Dr. Kersey-Matusiak is Professor Emerita and former Coordinator for Diversity at Holy Family University. She is a registered nurse educator who has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in Nursing. Dr. Kersey-Matusiak was the 2016 recipient of the Christian R and Mary F. Lindback Award for Teaching Excellence at Holy Family. Currently, Dr. Kersey-Matusiak serves as an adjunct in the Health Science Program at St. Joseph’s University, teaching Medical Terminology, Health and the School-Aged Child, Leadership and Diversity in Healthcare.