Cultural Competence

Aim

The overall aim of the cultural competence project is to enhance the cultural competence of nurses, midwives, and nurse educators in South Africa with the intention to improve patient outcomes and quality of care.

Why Is the Programme Needed?

South Africa is a diverse country owing to the migration nationally and cross-border from neighbouring countries and that requires for healthcare personnel to be equipped with the necessary competency to address health problems effectively.

Cultural competence is identified as one of the strategies to improve patient satisfaction, thereby contributing to improved health outcomes for patients from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Culturally competent nurses, midwives and nurse educators can contribute positively towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 3 – ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

Healthcare organisations and policymakers should consider cultural competence as one of the important components for meeting the positive health outcome elements of the SDG 2030.