6 CEUs for the Aspiring Culturally Competent Nurse

Being a culturally competent nurse requires continuous education and interactions with diverse individuals. The courses outlined here are a great place to start building your foundation of knowledge:

1. Mind Your Manners … Multiculturally

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Why should you take this course?
Nurses meet new patients every day and therefore it can be helpful to have a general understanding of proper etiquette and gestures from different cultures.

What will this course cover?
This course will go over proper etiquette and gestures from different cultures as well as discuss culturally sensitive behaviors.

How much does the course cost? $12

2. Cultural Sensitivity in Elder Care

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Why should you take this course?
There may be various barriers that an elderly multicultural patient may be confronted with in the healthcare system. From language barriers to opposing perceptions of what is considered healthy, working with the elderly requires a level of cultural competency in order to provide the best care.

What will this course cover?
This course will recognize challenges with this population as well as an overview of solutions aimed to cultural overcome barriers with the elderly population. Check out this video that provides more details on the course:

How much does the course cost? $38

3. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Community, Part 1

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Why should you take this course?
Approximately 4.5% of the population identifies as LGBT and it is reported that approximately 1.4 million adults in the United States identify as transgender. Regardless of this high number, a culturally competent nurse should be familiar with the LGBTQ+ lived experience because there are health concerns and barriers to care that many individuals in this community experience.

What will this course cover?
This CEU opportunity will provide an overview of the LGBTQ community and its history with the healthcare system as well as define key concepts and terms.

How much does it cost? $15

4. Cultural Perspectives in Childbearing

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Why should you take this course?
For many, pregnancy is a spiritual and sacred time where rituals, practices, and traditions take place in order to wish the pregnant person and child well. However, in the hospital setting, these practices are often not acknowledged as healthcare professionals have a very specific system in place to helping a pregnant person learn, care, and give birth to their child. Being well-informed of different perspectives and respecting them can improve trust between a pregnant person and healthcare professional and also encourages the person to continue engaging in ways that feel empowering and uplifting to them.

What will this course cover?
There will be a review on the intersections between culture and healthcare practice. The course will also go over various beliefs and practices related to childbearing.

How much does the course cost? $12

5. Herbal Medications

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Why should you take this course?
Many people use herbal medicine for daily use as well as for chronic conditions. Cultures from all around the world relay on plants and use them in various ways. This includes taking the plant medicine internally and using them topically. It is important for nurses to be familiar with herbal medicine use as there could be side effects and contraindications with pharmaceutical prescriptions.

What will this course cover?
The historical context of herbal medicines will be reviewed as well as their regulation. The course will also discuss commonly used herbal medicines as well.

How much does the course cost? $12

6. End of Life and Diversity

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Why should you take this course?
Having a patient that is at the end of their life is a difficult experience. Nurses often wonder what is the best thing to say or do for their patient in order to help them get through the transition as peaceful as possible. Acknowledging that people from all cultures perceive end of life differently can help a nurse figure out the best approach to helping their patients.

What will this course cover?
You’ll learn about the cultural factors associated with end of life and other important topics like cultural influences on pain management.

How much does the course cost? $3.50

After learning from these courses here, it would be helpful to go even further. Here are some ways to continue learning how to be a culturally competent nurse:

• Take courses that specifically discuss the populations you work
• Talk with your medical team about diversity and discuss ways to improve cultural competency together
• Ask open-ended questions to your patients on how they would like you to acknowledge their cultural perspectives
• .