Cultural competence is important in nursing because it allows the professional to understand the specifics of the patient’s behavior. According to Sharifi, “cultural competence is one of the principal foundations of clinical nursing”.
There are great variations in the way well-being, physical health, and death are seen in Western and Eastern cultures. This approach allows patient-centered nursing because a culturally competent nurse understands the views of the patient and how they affect one’s health and health-related decisions.
Moreover, it allows these professionals to overcome the stereotypes that affect the way they perceive different ethnicities or nationalities. Hence, such a nurse can explain a diagnosis in terms that can be easily understood by the patient, offer variations of treatment, and accept the patient’s decision regarding their health.