Cultural Challenges within a Health Care System - Essay Example

It is in this regard that this essay aims to present what the concept of culture is. Further, this paper would delve into the challenges this concept has to perceptions of health and illness in the health care profession. Finally, concrete examples of the challenges in Arabic culture would be provided for clarity and confirmation. Delaune and Ladner (2006) in their book on Fundamentals of Nursing defined culture as “knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, habits, customs, languages, symbols, rituals, ceremonies, and practices that are unique to a particular group of people”. (p.388) Simple folks ordinarily know culture as a way of life.

To enable a health practitioner to incorporate the concept of culture and be able to address the challenges associated in the effective delivery of healthcare, one should be aware of the concept of cultural competence. According to Campinha-Bacote (1996) cultural competence is "a process, not an end point, in which the nurse continuously strives to achieve the ability to effectively work within the cultural context of an individual, family or community from a diverse cultural/ethnic background”. (p.6) The attainment of cultural competence is viewed as a process that links cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skill, cultural encounter and cultural desire.

There are six organizational factors which were identified in two separate studies. When combined, these factors provide a guideline for nursing implications relative to a particular cultural group. The organizational factors presented by Spector (2004) and Stanhope and Lancaster (2004) distinguishes outstanding cultural aspects grouped accordingly, and would assist nurses in providing the appropriate patient care. These factors are: (1) communication; (2) space; (3) time orientation; (4) social organization; (5) environmental control; and (6) biological evaluations.

“Arabic is the key to understanding the Arabs, their culture, and