The Importance of Cultural Humility

Cultural competence is having the knowledge about what to do in certain situations. Cultural humility is putting this cultural awareness into action. We rely on both of these things to continuously expand our knowledge of other people’s cultures and to have the willingness to learn. Tervalon and Murray Garcia’s article “Cultural Humility Versus Cultural Competence,” it states that physicians in the healthcare system are in a position of power and often misuse this power because of the “providers’ lack of knowledge regarding patients’ health beliefs and life experiences, and providers’ unintentional and intentional processes of racism, classism, homophobia, and sexism,” (117–118). A physician or nurse’s lack of cultural humility does not allow them to empathize and help deliver optimal care for their patients. “At the same time and by the same process of self-reflection, awakening trainees to the incredible position of power physicians potentially hold overall patients, particularly the poor, is critical,” (120).

Verghese’s New York Times article, “Close Encounter of the Human Kind” does a great job at observing and describing what his patients have gone through and what they suffer from. He shows us the conditions of the patients by describing what their ailment is, “I peeled her shoes from swollen feet, trying not to remove her skin in the process. Cuts submerged objects and immersion in standing water had caused the swelling, as well as infection of both feet.” He then used his past experiences of working in India and Ethiopia as a marker for what he seeing currently, “I felt the same helplessness, knowing that the illness here was inextricably linked to the bigger problem of homelessness, disenfranchisement, and despair.” Readers can then ask why have these refugees not been helped by the government or what has lead them to this situation of helplessness.

I want to be able to get to know more about the people that visit Rotacare and ELS. I know I’m really good at observing people and reading their body language. I can also describe people and places very well. I think being able to remember verbatim might be a bit difficult but it’ll be easier if I try to remember the context and the other non-verbal expression.