Cultural Competence In The Movie 'Pocahontas'

Cultural competence describes the full set of attitudes, communication, and listening skills that are essential to effectively connect with people from different cultures and work in cross-cultural situations (Wilson, 2022). Every culture is based on its own beliefs, values, social norms, and religion/ spirituality. As a nurse, it is important to be able to provide culturally competent care to all types of individuals that may be seen from different cultures and with different backgrounds, while eliminating biases and stereotypes. Providing culturally competent care requires nurses to have an open mind, ask questions, use active listening, educate themselves, and be respectful and accepting. In order to establish trusting connections and provide

While the cartoon is set during European colonization, it depicts cultural conflict between white settlers and Native Americans which can aid in simple, modern education of Native American background. Although fictional, the movie is loosely based on the real-life Pocahontas, further aiding in Native American representation. The movie “Pocahantas” is inspired from the Powhatan culture in the Chesapeake Bay area. The art and music displayed in the movie represent integral elements of Native American culture. Most importantly, the movie shows how tolerance and understanding between different cultures can lead to a more peaceful lifestyle while preserving and respecting the aspects of each culture. As a nurse, it is imperative that we understand the values, beliefs, and practices of patients and families. Being conscious of another’s culture allows for established trust and understanding between healthcare workers and

This starts with establishing trust. If the patient is a Native American elder, it is important that the nurse pays the highest respect to the patient. In tribal communities, elders always eat first and always are first in line. As a nurse, if more than one person was in the patient’s room at mealtimes, I would make sure to give the elder their food first. According to American Indian Policy Institute’s “Professional Etiquette,” an elder should always be addressed by their title and last name (Talbert, 2023). This shows respect, as these elders did a lot for their communities in order to earn their titles. As a nurse, it would be important to ask the patient what their title is and how they would prefer to be addressed. Additionally, because Native American elders likely have experienced barriers and discrimination in the past when assessing healthcare due to a lack of understanding, they may be hesitant to assume comfortability when pursuing care. For this reason, it is important for nurses to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Nurses can increase the Native American patient’s comfort by asking questions about their level of comfortability, asking before touching the patient, asking about their values, beliefs, and practices, and fully explaining procedures and findings. In addition, when visiting Native American homelands, cell phones are typically