What is cultural competence?

Cultural competence is one of the crucial factors that are considered to be necessary for the proper functioning of the healthcare system. According to Shen, scholars have singled out a variety of definitions for this term. The author claims that cultural competence is a binominal notion that includes two subconcepts, culture and competence. For this reason, scholars may focus on one concept or the other, leading to various definitions and interpretations. One of the most well-known definitions of cultural competence is the one proposed by Leininger. It suggests that cultural competence in nursing care means “the explicit use of culturally based care and health knowledge that is used in sensitive, creative, and meaningful ways to fit the general lifeways and needs of individuals or groups.” In other words, cultural competence describes the knowledge and practices used to deliver proper healthcare to various population groups.