The Purnell Model of Cultural Competence

Cultural Competence
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The 21st century has ushered shift into multicultural societies, and healthcare is no different. Therefore, cultural competence has become an essential aspect of practice within a multidisciplinary healthcare team. The Purnell Model of Cultural Competence is proposed as an organizing framework put in place to help achieve this goal. This essay analyzes the Purnell Model, effective communication, and its relevance in advanced nursing practice.
Purnell describes culture as a totality of beliefs, behavior patterns, arts, and socially transmitted values. The behaviors are primarily learned and shared within members of a family or an extended group of people. Within the man, culture is subcultures born out of different experiences from those of the dominant culture. Consequently, differences such as language, socioeconomic class, nationality, sexual orientation, and education create individuals with various characteristics. Culture is a powerful determinant of perception; therefore, it significantly influences healthcare and illness CITATION Pur05 \l 1033 (Purnell, 2005). Therefore, healthcare providers need to be aware of and respect all clients by integrating their culture into the treatment process. Cultural awareness, in this case, has to do with the appreciation of diversity combined with a positive personal attitude towards the differences. In addition, political correctness on approaching culture changes over time; therefore, it is easier to engage the individual in a conversation and express what they wish to get out of a medical process.
Cultural competence is characterized by developing awareness of one’s culture, existence, and perspective without influencing personal attitudes towards different cultures. In modern healthcare, nurses need to understand th...