Standard of practice for culturally competent nursing care (Updated 2011)

The purpose of this document is to initiate a discussion of a set of universally applicable standards of practice for culturally competent care that nurses around the globe may use to guide clinical practice, research, education, and administration. The recipient of the nursing care described in these standards is assumed to be an individual, a family, a community,or a population. These standards are based on a framework of social justice (Rawls, 1971), that is, the belief that every individual and group is entitled to fair and equal rights and participation in social, educational, economic, and, specifically in this context, health care opportunities. Culturally competent care is informed by the principles of social justice and human rights regardless of social context. Through the application of the principles of social justice and the provision of culturally competent care, inequalities in health outcomes may be reduced.