Continuing Education Effects on Cultural Competence Knowledge and Skill--论文代写范文精选s

这些数据进一步分析以确定参与继续教育，增强实践参与和自我报告的信心。此外,研究人员获得数据的可用性，对于雇主赞助的培训机会。下面的essay代写范文进行详述。

Abstract
Racial and ethnic minority health data from a national perspective indicates there is much to learn in the public health workforce about the ongoing health disparities crisis. This suggests a level of urgency to assist our public health professionals in obtaining specific skills sets that will assist them in working better with vulnerable populations. The purpose of this research is to assess cultural competence knowledge and programmatic skill sets, utilizing an explorational case study, of individuals employed within an urban public health department. 

In order to effectively evaluate these constructs, a quantitative research approach was employed to examine participants’ knowledge and competencies of the subject matter. This data was further analyzed to determine if continuing education participation and training was correlated to the levels of culturally competent practice engagement and self-reported confidence. In addition, researchers obtained data on the availability of employer sponsored training opportunities. The data suggested when health professionals engage in cultural competence education, their level of awareness of unique characteristics between ethnic and racial minorities increased. 

Those who exhibited the healthiest behaviors, as it relates to effectively working with diverse populations, had a heightened sense of knowledge related to culture and healthcare services. Continuing education in cultural competence is an essential strategy for improving public health employees’ effectiveness in working with diverse clients and reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. As the finding illustrated, training programs must incorporate educational components which foster skill building to enable subsequent culturally appropriate clinical interactions. 
Key Words: Continuing education; Cultural competence; Skills building; Workforce development; Clinical interaction; Quality of care.

Introduction
Racial and ethnic minority health data from a national perspective indicates there is much to learn in the public health workforce about the ongoing health disparities crisis. This suggests a level of urgency to assist our public health professionals in obtaining specific skills sets that will assist them in working better with ethnic and racial minority populations. These skills encompass culturally competent care and entails understanding the social and cultural factors which influence individual health beliefs and behaviors.1 Heightened levels of cultural competence by public health workers enable the elimination of health disparities. 

This concept is well accepted and incorporated into many initiatives of federal organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.2 The concept of cultural competency focused continuing education for the public health workforce is stressed within the National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS). The activities and principles are designed to be integrated not only throughout health care organizations and across professional disciplines, but implemented as a partnership with the served communities (Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities, 2007). 

There are organized themes comprised from 14 standards: Culturally Competent Care (Standards 1-3), Language Access Services (Standards 4-7), and Organizational Supports for Cultural Competence (Standards 8-14). The three types of standards are: 1) CLAS mandates; current Federal requirements for all recipients of Federal funds (Standards 4-7); 2) CLAS guidelines; activities recommended by OMH for adoption as mandates by Federal, State, and national accrediting agencies (Standards 1- 3, 8- 13); and 3) CLAS recommendations; suggested by OMHD for voluntary adoption by health care organizations (Standard 14).3 Public health providers may influence race, ethnicity and socioeconomic health disparities in numerous areas. Providers may reflect and/or reinforce societal notions regarding patients’ own value, self-reliance, knowledge, and deservingness of effective care.4 

In addition, providers have the ability to communicate lower expectations for patients in disadvantaged social and economic positions.4 This is an example of the public health workforce’s influence on individual’s expectations for the degree to which they expect to obtain the resources and services they need, and their expectations for improvements in their conditions and situations. Also noted is patients’ health related cognition and behavior being highly correlated to provider communication.4 In addition, health care professionals act as gatekeepers, differential access to services and treatments, as well as benefits, are well documented. 

All these factors, whether intentional or unintentional, may account for some of the disparities observed in health outcomes.4 Continuing education in cultural competence is an essential strategy for improving public health employees’ effectiveness in working with diverse clients and reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. An extensive literature review identified studies which evaluated interventions designed to improve cultural competence of health professionals. It is reported most studies illustrated beneficial effects on participant knowledge.5 The areas of intervention were broad including culture-specific knowledge (e.g., cultural traditions, norms) and adverse health outcomes as a result of provider bias.5 In addition, findings suggested skills building training among health care professionals improves their interactions with patients. In one study, participants were given various hour sessions to practice communication skills with community members. 

As a result, participants were more competent in interviewing a non-English-speaking person.5 Other observed behaviors included an increase in nurses’ involvement in community-based chronic disease education programs, learners reported increased social interactions with peers of a different race/ethnicity, and an improvement in their ability to conduct a behavioral analysis and treatment plan.5 An evaluation of the effectiveness and acceptability of antiracism and cultural competence training among health care professionals providing services to children was conducted by a team of researchers. The curriculum was designed to give learners the opportunity to gain an understanding of how racism and personal views hinder the delivery of services.6 This was conducted through small multidisciplinary group discussion, with strict ground rules, facilitated by antidiscrimination professionals.6 

A retrospective evaluation was conducted with trainees to identify their views between two and seven years upon course completion. Seventy-five percent gave positive reviews to one or more of the questions related to behavioral change and; practice and communication modification.6 The Society of General Internal Medicine Health Disparities Task Force used a review process for the development of recommendations and guidelines of health disparities curricula for staff employed in clinical settings. The taskforce provides learning objectives, curriculum content, teaching methods and implementation resources.7 Recommendations suggest curricula address three areas of racial and ethnic health disparities and focus on specific learning objectives. These include examining and understanding patients’ attitudes, such as mistrust, subconscious bias, and stereotyping, which can impact clinical encounters. 

Also, trainees should gain knowledge focused on the existence and magnitude of health disparities, including the causes and subsequent solutions of health disparities, in an effort to diminish or eliminate them.7 The final objective encompasses skills building to effectively communicate and negotiate across the diverse cultural, linguistic and educational levels of patients. The overall goal of the curriculum is to assist learners in developing a personal commitment to eliminating inequities in health care quality It has been suggested that culturally competent practice in health care settings, requires organizational commitment and the development of infrastructure to promote and support employee diversity, and responsiveness to cross-cultural issues.8 

Specifically, interventions must include exploring ways to achieve multidimensionality in training programs. Researchers have identified Donabedian’s model as a useful framework to assess proposed institutional changes to promote and support culturally competent practice.8 The model examines outcomes from clinical/administrative standards, through environmental characteristics and resourcefulness. It seeks to identify strategies to improve health care services and patients’ satisfaction. Some areas of inquiry include the adoption of multifaceted, strategic culturally competent care by senior management and organizational boards; the managerial support and accountability for the implementation of employee training programs; and the strategic integration of cultural competency principles and values into ongoing service delivery.8 

The purpose of this research is to assess cultural competence knowledge and programmatic skill sets, utilizing an explorational case study, of individuals employed within an urban public health department. In order to effectively evaluate these constructs, a quantitative research approach was employed to examine participants’ knowledge and competencies of the subject matter. This data was further analyzed to determine if continuing education participation and training were correlated to the levels of culturally competent practice engagement and self-reported confidence. In addition, researchers obtained data on the availability of employer sponsored training opportunities.

51Due网站原创范文除特殊说明外一切图文著作权归51Due所有；未经51Due官方授权谢绝任何用途转载或刊发于媒体。如发生侵犯著作权现象，51Due保留一切法律追诉权。
更多essay代写范文欢迎访问我们主页 www.51due.com 当然有essay代写需求可以和我们24小时在线客服 QQ:800020041 联系交流。-X（essay代写)