Page 210 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 210
Polona Mivšek, Nastja Pavel, Mateja Kusterle, and Petra Petročnik
own culture and understanding how cultural differences influence effective
interaction, and secondly it is gaining knowledge and learning certain skills
to function effectively as an individual within the context of the cultural be-
liefs, behaviours, and needs of others. In a healthcare context, cultural com-
petency is an essential component in providing effective and culturally re-
sponsive care to clients. Every patient should be treated as an individual and
there may be several ways to achieve competent interaction (Camplin-Welch
& Lim, 2018). As outlined by Campinha-Bacote (2007), the midwife’s level of
cultural competency is positively and directly related to positive maternal
and neonatal outcomes. Acknowledging this, we as midwifery teachers will
strive to enable student midwives to become health professionals who pro-
vide culturally sensitive care to patients.
We are aware our study has some limitations as it could include a larger
sample of student midwives. Moreover, it would be reasonable to perform
a longitudinal study and research how cultural competencies evolve from
the period of students’ enrolment in the midwifery study program upon the
graduation. Nevertheless, more effort needs to be invested at the state level
into cultural competencies in midwifery. Amendments of the study program
with the culturally sensitive contents using national guidelines (Nacionalni
inštitut za javno zdravje, 2016) and international recommendations (Interna-
tional Confederation of Midwives, 2013) would be necessary. Besides the ex-
isting documents (Nacionalni inšitut za javno zdravje, 2016), there is a need to
prepare more documents that will help health professionals provide health-
care to people from different cultural backgrounds. There is also a need to
organise more educational workshops on cultural awareness for health pro-
fessionals and to help implement the theoretical knowledge into practice in
all healthcare institutions.
References
Bofulin, M., Farkaš Lainščak, J., Gosenca, K., Jelenc, A., Keršič Svetel, M., Lipovec
Čebron, U., Pistotnik, S., Škraban, Š., & Zaviršek, D. (2016). Kulturne kom-
petence in zdravstvena oskrba: priročnik za razvijanje kulturnih kompetenc
zdravstvenih delavcev. Ljubljana, Slovenia: Nacionalni inštitut za javno
zdravje.
Bombač, L., Brecelj Š., Liberšar H., & Zelko E. (2017). Zdravstvena obravnava in
oskrba prosilcev za mednarodno zaščito ter delo v okviru projekta. In H.
Liberšar (Ed.), Zdravstvena obravnava prosilcev za mednarodno zaščito (pp.
32–38). Ljubljana: Slovenska filantropija.
Briscoe, L. (2013). Becoming culturally sensitive: A painful process? Midwifery,
29(6), 559–565.
208
own culture and understanding how cultural differences influence effective
interaction, and secondly it is gaining knowledge and learning certain skills
to function effectively as an individual within the context of the cultural be-
liefs, behaviours, and needs of others. In a healthcare context, cultural com-
petency is an essential component in providing effective and culturally re-
sponsive care to clients. Every patient should be treated as an individual and
there may be several ways to achieve competent interaction (Camplin-Welch
& Lim, 2018). As outlined by Campinha-Bacote (2007), the midwife’s level of
cultural competency is positively and directly related to positive maternal
and neonatal outcomes. Acknowledging this, we as midwifery teachers will
strive to enable student midwives to become health professionals who pro-
vide culturally sensitive care to patients.
We are aware our study has some limitations as it could include a larger
sample of student midwives. Moreover, it would be reasonable to perform
a longitudinal study and research how cultural competencies evolve from
the period of students’ enrolment in the midwifery study program upon the
graduation. Nevertheless, more effort needs to be invested at the state level
into cultural competencies in midwifery. Amendments of the study program
with the culturally sensitive contents using national guidelines (Nacionalni
inštitut za javno zdravje, 2016) and international recommendations (Interna-
tional Confederation of Midwives, 2013) would be necessary. Besides the ex-
isting documents (Nacionalni inšitut za javno zdravje, 2016), there is a need to
prepare more documents that will help health professionals provide health-
care to people from different cultural backgrounds. There is also a need to
organise more educational workshops on cultural awareness for health pro-
fessionals and to help implement the theoretical knowledge into practice in
all healthcare institutions.
References
Bofulin, M., Farkaš Lainščak, J., Gosenca, K., Jelenc, A., Keršič Svetel, M., Lipovec
Čebron, U., Pistotnik, S., Škraban, Š., & Zaviršek, D. (2016). Kulturne kom-
petence in zdravstvena oskrba: priročnik za razvijanje kulturnih kompetenc
zdravstvenih delavcev. Ljubljana, Slovenia: Nacionalni inštitut za javno
zdravje.
Bombač, L., Brecelj Š., Liberšar H., & Zelko E. (2017). Zdravstvena obravnava in
oskrba prosilcev za mednarodno zaščito ter delo v okviru projekta. In H.
Liberšar (Ed.), Zdravstvena obravnava prosilcev za mednarodno zaščito (pp.
32–38). Ljubljana: Slovenska filantropija.
Briscoe, L. (2013). Becoming culturally sensitive: A painful process? Midwifery,
29(6), 559–565.
208
