Abstract: Cultural Humility in Nursing Practice

Abstract

In 2012, Human Resources for Health (HRH) Rwanda brought together international nursing experts with widely varying backgrounds, worldviews, and values. This phenomenon has generated an increased awareness of the impact of culture on attitudes, behaviors, and professional practices. Conclusions Cultural humility, defined as the lifelong commitment to self-critique and developing mutually beneficial partnerships, is needed in order to work effectively across diverse worldviews. In a model of cultural humility, the most serious barrier to culturally appropriate care is the nurses' failure to develop self-awareness and a respectful, open attitude toward diverse points of view. Interacting from a starting point of humility, rather than professional expertise or arrogance, generates a different, more positive, partnership and healthcare encounter.