Skip to Main Content

Nursing Administration: Cultural Competency

Cultural Competency in Health & Social Services: General Resources

As the United States grows in population, so does its diversity. Appalachia, the main region Lincoln Memorial University serves, is no exception. Because of this, it becomes increasingly important to become not only aware of diverse populations, but to be comfortable working with these multitudes of wonderful people. This subject guide provides information on the different groups and arms medical and social service professionals with the information they need to better assist their clients and patients, becoming culturally competent in their everyday practice. At the very least, diversity awareness is paramount for serving as many clients and patients as possible.

Cultural competency is an ongoing process, and it does not happen over night. Best practices and information also changes over time as more research provides more information on optimal trends for addressing people's needs. What is important is we keep ourselves updated on how to appreciate every client and patient we work with in our respective fields. To that end, should anyone reading the pages on this guide find information outdated or inaccurate, please do not hesitate to contact the librarians represented on the right. We will do what we can to keep this guide not only correct, but up-to-date, and most importantly: relevant. 

Below is some general information that applies to all the sections of this subject guide. Each tab after this page will cover specific populations, providing more resources for enhancing one's cultural competency as well as information on health concerns that afflict individual groups (without over stereotyping, ideally). On this page is also information specific to Appalachia and the South. 

Additional Information and Websites

  • Amnesty International. Information provided by a global movement with the goal of ending abuses of human rights. 
  • Credo Reference. This database provides thousands of articles and research from multiple subjects and disciplines. There is also biographical information and dictionaries in  various European languages. Recommended for initial dabbling into a research topic. 
  • Minimizing and addressing implicit bias in the workplace: Be proactive, part one. Cultural biases, stereotypes, prejudices, and so forth are not always consciously acted upon, yet still are a major issue in work environments. All of us have acted on some of these at some point in our lives. This article discusses how to minimize this. Though the article itself is targeted toward library professionals, it is equally helpful for other professionals, whether one is working with a coworker or a client/patient.
  • Minimizing and addressing microaggressions in the workplace: Be proactive, part two. This article talks about microaggressions in the workplace. This is important to address for both coworkers and when handling clients and/or patients. Though like part one, it is geared toward libraries. Despite this, there are tips that are applicable to all work settings. 
  • National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NINHH). The NINHH site has general information regarding health and human services, and health disparities between minorities compared to the general American population. There are also opportunities to get involved and seek opportunities for funding.

Appalachia & the South Specific

  • Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Reports. The resources listed here include research, maps, and data pertaining to various populations in Appalachia. Utilizing this resource will help with both increasing diversity awareness, cultural competency, and overall an informed professional.
  • Florida Health. Contains information on public health regarding Florida. 
  • TDoH: Health Statistics. Statistics from the Tennessee Department of Health.

Books for Cultural Caring!

Social Work & Counseling

Want To Add More Stats? Reports? Look Below!

  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Offers data on not just healthcare quality, but also hospitalizations, emergency visits, and more. Here are also some state snapshots and annual reports.
  • CDC: National Center for Health Statistics. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has fast stats available on their site. Also contained in this site is the following:
  • Census Bureau. United States census reports, with data on the nations' people and economic trends, utilizing various demographics. 
  • City-Data. Data and reports collected and analyzed from various governmental sources, giving profiles on various issues in the United States from crime to health. Included are descriptions of geographic or community boundaries along with standard demographics, and services available to respective communities. 
  • County Health Rankings. Provides information on health of a community or state and what factors contribute to the quality of health. Included are demographics and health services available to individual communities.
     

 

 

Global Data & Statistics