Cultural safety means working to protect the culture of vulnerable groups by identifying biases and power imbalances in an organization. It requires healthcare professionals to examine the impact of their own culture on clinical interactions and service delivery. It encourages individuals and organizations to acknowledge and address their own biases, attitudes, assumptions, stereotypes, prejudices, and characteristics that may affect the quality of care provided (WA State Legislature, 2024).

Improving cultural safety means that healthcare providers and organizations engage in ongoing self-reflection and self-awareness. Providing culturally safe care requires providers to hold themselves accountable to their patients and their communities. Cultural safety requires healthcare professionals and organizations to reduce bias and achieve equity within the workforce and working environment (WA State Legislature, 2024).

Cultural safety in healthcare is not a new concept—it has been studied in the field of nursing at least since the 1970s. Early research included the analysis of different cultures, nursing care practices, values and beliefs, and concepts of health and disease (Gradellini et al., 2021).

3.1 Collaborating with Community Resources

Collaborating with community resources is a crucial part of cultural safety. Collaboration provides insights into the needs of marginalized populations and helps healthcare providers develop interventions that are effective and sustainable.

Women, especially Black and Latina women are an often-underutilized part of the healthcare workforce. They disproportionally work in support roles such as nursing assistants and dietary service staff. In many cases, these healthcare workers have closer relationships with their communities than other healthcare professionals, representing an untapped opportunity to improve workforce cultural competence. These workers often live in the same communities that they serve and have strong ties with community members. Many times, they share ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, and life experiences with the community (Rivera-Núñez et al., 2022).

Increasing access to care and services in underserved communities can reduce cultural disparities. This can be achieved by reducing transportation barriers, increasing affordability, and providing more convenient hours to accommodate different work and family schedules.

3.2 Developing Community Partnerships

Developing partnerships with local community organizations allows healthcare organizations to understand the needs of different cultural communities. Community organizations provide valuable insight into the needs of their communities and can help develop programs that address social determinants of health.

Healthcare organizations that prioritize health equity often have a culture that emphasizes diversity and inclusiveness, values patient-centered care, and supports ongoing training and education for healthcare workers. This type of institutional culture prioritizes community engagement and outreach, and supports policies and initiatives aimed at reducing disparities in health outcomes and access to care.

3.3 Developing Culturally Relevant Programs

Developing culturally relevant programs reduces healthcare disparities by helping patients learn about preventive care and other healthcare services. These programs should be tailored to the needs and cultures of the community and should be designed to address health issues in a culturally appropriate way.

Health literacy is closely related to culturally relevant programs. One aspect of health literacy is training providers to communicate health information in a way that is easy for patients to understand by using clear language and avoiding medical jargon. Developing well-designed visuals and written materials helps patients understand their health status and treatment options.