Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care
By Gloria Kersey-Matusiak, PhD, MSN, RN
Springer Publishing Company, 2013, soft cover, 284 pages, $55

Delivering Culturally Competent Care addresses a very needed and often neglected component of nursing care - providing the highest level of care to those populations who are "different" than the individual nurse who may be the one responsible for his/her care. The author not only addresses topics dealing with individuals of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, but also includes discussions of those who differ in their beliefs, religion, sexual orientation, and those with learning and/or physical disabilities, to name a few. Dr. Kersey-Matusiak emphasizes the need for the nurse (and student nurse) to perform a self-assessment and evaluate his/her own beliefs and attitudes toward those who are "different," or of a different "culture."

This book provides much in the way of making one aware of the need for culturally competent care, providing multiple case studies, assessment tools and lists of key points throughout each chapter. The author even developed a self-awareness tool called the Staircase Self-Assessment Model to assist and guide the nurse in identifying his/her own cultural competency and provide direction in how to overcome the personal challenges many face when dealing with those of other "cultures." There are also NCLEX-style questions provided after each topic - an excellent tool for the student nurse preparing to become a culturally competent nurse.

Due to the enormous amount of references in this text, it was often difficult to follow the content. Often, after reading just a few words, there would be several lines documenting studies and other sources in the form of parenthetical citations. This really took away from the ease of reading and following the context. I found it somewhat distracting. However, overall, the book was well written and provided much insight into the importance of culturally competent care. I would highly recommend this for the nursing student as well as for those experienced nurses who are lacking a true understanding of what it means to provide culturally competent care, especially in this culturally diverse nation in which we live.

I. Christine Sproles teaches nursing at Fortis Institute in Pensacola, FL.