Assignment Description:
Part 1: For this assignment, conduct a cultural self-assessment using the Staircase Self-Assessment Model and write a 1250–1500-word reflection essay.
To understand culture and cultural diversity, you must understand your own culture and beliefs. Utilizing the Staircase Self-Assessment Model as a means of determining your level of cultural competency, write a 1250 to 1500-word essay outlining the six stages: cultural destructiveness, cultural incapacity, cultural blindness, pre-competency, basic cultural competency, and advance cultural competency. Determine your level on the staircase by answering the following questions. Please be mindful that your responses will not be judged; only your knowledge of the Staircase Self-Assessment Model will be evaluated:
Step 1:
• How much do I value becoming culturally competent?• What actions have I taken recently or in the past when caring for culturally diverse patients that demonstrate my motivation?
Step 2:
• How much do I know about my cultural heritage or racial identity and its relationship to my own healthcare beliefs and practices?• Have I discussed these issues with my parents, grandparents, or other relatives?
Step 3:
• How much do I know about cultural groups that differ from my own?
Step 4:
• How culturally diverse is my social network?• How many encounters with cultural group members outside my social network do I have? Are these relationships superficial, or do I have social contact beyond the workplace?
Step 5:
• Am I able to independently identify the potential or actual problems that originate from cultural conflicts, or am I surprised by them?• Do I serve as a culturally competent role model/mentor for others?
Step 6:
• Have I developed problem-solving strategies to manage cultural conflicts?• Am I able to manage or resolve cultural problems or issues that arise, and what resources do I use?
Once you have completed the self-assessment, address the following questions:
1. Why are self-knowledge and understanding a critical step in achieving cultural competence?
2. How has the “cultural self-assessment” exercise influenced your awareness of personal and professional values, attitudes, and practices, including prejudices and biases?
3. How will your interactions with patients and families change as a result of this self-reflection?Remember, you answer these questions from your perspective, so there is no right or wrong response. You must address each question. Although the information on your self-assessment paper is strictly confidential, if you do not wish to self-disclose a specific area from the Staircase, indicate that by explaining in detail why you do not want to disclose. You are not required to provide citations/references in this paper. Attention should be paid to grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The Staircase Self-Assessment Model is a tool that can help individuals determine their level of cultural competency. This assignment requires conducting a cultural self-assessment using this model and writing a reflection essay about it. The essay should address questions about the importance of self-knowledge and understanding in achieving cultural competence, how the exercise influenced personal and professional values and practices, and how interactions with patients and families will change as a result of self-reflection.
1. Why are self-knowledge and understanding a critical step in achieving cultural competence?
Self-knowledge and understanding are critical steps in achieving cultural competence because they allow individuals to recognize their own biases and prejudices, and how these can impact interactions with patients and families from different cultures. It also helps individuals to recognize their own cultural influences and how these can influence their views on health and healthcare. Without self-knowledge and understanding, individuals may inadvertently perpetuate stereotypes and biases towards those from different cultures.
2. How has the “cultural self-assessment” exercise influenced your awareness of personal and professional values, attitudes, and practices, including prejudices and biases?
The cultural self-assessment exercise has influenced my awareness of personal and professional values, attitudes, and practices by making me more aware of my own biases and prejudices towards certain cultural groups. Through the exercise, I realized that I had certain preconceptions about certain cultures that I was not aware of before. This will enable me to be more mindful in future interactions with patients and families from different cultures and will help me understand their perspective better.
3. How will your interactions with patients and families change as a result of this self-reflection?
As a result of this self-reflection, my interactions with patients and families from different cultures will change as I will be more aware of their cultural background and the potential impact of culture on their healthcare beliefs and practices. I will also be more aware of my own cultural biases and prejudices and will strive to be more culturally sensitive in my interactions with them. This will help to build trust and rapport, which is critical in patient care.
