Build your intercultural communication skills to ensure the best possible patient outcomes. Includes DVD with dramatizations of realistic health-care scenarios.

Cultural Competency Skills for Health Professionals teaches techniques for meeting the challenges of working with culturally diverse patients and their families. The skills that health professionals and students acquire through using this workbook will improve their communication and problem-solving abilities when working across cultures.

Cultural Competency Skills for Health Professionals approaches intercultural issues in health care from the perspective of communication. It sharpens your ability to understand the messages and information being communicated by patients and their families.

The workbook provides eight learning modules based on realistic health-care scenarios, along with exercises and self-assessment tools. The modules include high-quality video dramatizations and worksheets, and cover topics including:

• Traditional roles of family care.
• Cultural issues in obtaining consent.
• Cultural issues in compliance.
• Language diversity in health care.
• Generational views on personal directives.
• Cultural issues in end-of-life care.
• Challenging cultural norms.
• Cultural influence in family decision-making.

Earle H. Waugh is Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alberta. His publications include books and articles on the religion and philosophy of India.

K. Dad Prithipaul, Associate Professor at the University of Alberta, has published numerous books and articles relating to his areas of specialization — Hinduism, Buddhism, and comparative religion.

Earle Waugh's profile page

Olga Szafran is Associate Director of Research in the Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Olga Szafran's profile page

Jean A.C. Triscott, MD, Professor and Director of the Division of Care of the Elderly, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta.

Jean A.C. Triscott's profile page

Roger Parent, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Campus Saint-Jean, University of Alberta.

Roger Parent's profile page

This is a useful tool for healthcare providers to us to improve upon their communication with those of different cultures. The audiovisual case studies combined with the workbook activities enable readers to observe and reflect upon a variety of experiences they may encounter.

Patrick Crane, BSN, MSN, DNP, Michigan State University College of Nursing