Cultural and Linguistic Awareness for Nursing Professionals

2026 Update: What’s New in Cultural & Linguistic Competence

Evolution of Cultural and Linguistic Competence

“In the last few years, cultural and linguistic competence has changed, at least within our school of nursing,” Dr. Patel explains. “And I think it’s actually changed for the better.” She notes that when cultural and linguistic competence was first introduced into nursing education, it was still relatively new and not yet treated as a core priority. “It was something that was new and was being introduced as an important priority for the curriculum and teaching,” she says, adding that earlier efforts were often uneven across programs despite growing awareness of the need to serve patients of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

That approach has shifted significantly. “Previously, it was more of a ‘nice to have,’” Dr. Patel says, “now it’s much more integrated with actual actionable steps.” She emphasizes that students are being prepared to create impact beyond the bedside. “Both as clinical trainees and later when they become nurses, [they are learning] to really affect change in healthcare environments at the policy level, but also at the cultural level and at the individual level, in terms of their interactions with patients and communities.” Overall, she sees a clear progression “from acknowledgement of these imperatives and these needs to more active engagement in change and in providing effective care.”

Integration of Cultural Competence in Curriculum

Dr. Patel describes today’s nursing curriculum as intentionally designed to prepare students for both clinical care and organizational advocacy. Students are taught to approach cultural and linguistic competence from a twofold perspective: providing culturally and linguistically competent care and advocating within their organization for policies that improve. She attributes this shift to deeper curricular integration, noting that students are able to act “with more capabilities and sophistication due to how these learnings have been integrated into our curriculum. For example, including a leadership curriculum, which students take their senior year.”

Instruction extends beyond theory and is reinforced through experiential learning. “The policies will be taught to students through various simulations, case studies, readings, and lectures,” Dr. Patel explains, adding that lessons are contextualized based on “the various geographies where a healthcare system or even a clinic is located.” This approach helps students think analytically not only about individual patient care, but also about leadership and systems-level change.

Emerging Tools and Technologies

“Simulation is an interesting space for patient scenarios in terms of clinical education,” Dr. Patel says, particularly when students engage with “carefully constructed, complex simulation modules that reflect a range and diversity of patient scenarios.” These tech-enabled learning environments allow students to practice clinical decision-making, analyze outcomes, and reflect in ways that are both immersive and scalable. As she notes, this form of “AI-enabled clinical learning can also help bridge some of the language gaps that we might see as linguistic diversity increases,” improving accessibility for both learners and patients.

At the same time, there is a clear need for balance. “Simulated learning is not necessarily a stand-in for embodied interaction between a patient and a provider,” she explains, particularly when it comes to empathy and compassion. While AI tools and translation apps can support communication, “these tools aren’t replacements for that human connection.” 

Pairing simulated experiences with live, in-person clinical learning ensures students gain both technical competence and cultural humility. Technology, she emphasizes, can “facilitate and enrich care, but it cannot substitute for the deeply human capacities required to deliver culturally and linguistically responsive healthcare.”

Research Gaps and Systemic Challenges

Some assumptions about barriers to culturally and linguistically competent care are shifting: “We might have assumed before that culturally and linguistically competent care was challenged by a lack of cultural and linguistic skills, capabilities, or sensitivities,” Dr. Patel explains, “and I don’t think we’re necessarily seeing that that is the case at this point.” 

In her experience, many students now view this type of care as fundamental. “Our own students really value providing culturally and linguistically competent care. They see the importance. It’s kind of a no-brainer…regardless of politics,” she says, emphasizing that commitment to equitable care is widely understood as essential to good patient outcomes.

Systemic pressures within healthcare environments remain a challenge. “There are clinical time pressures; these are fast-paced environments, there’s burnout, there’s fatigue amongst practitioners—not just nurses, but interprofessional practitioners,” she notes. With high patient volumes, “nurses have to sometimes make really quick visits…because they have to move from patient to patient.” 

These conditions can limit the time and capacity needed to deliver culturally and linguistically responsive care. Addressing these issues requires shifting the focus away from individual blame and toward system-level solutions. “I think it’s important for the field to move more in that direction, versus blaming the individual nurse,” Dr. Patel encourages.

Positive Impact of DEI Initiatives

“I think it’s important to note, sometimes it’s almost like there are two realities,” Dr. Patel says. Popular media often frames diversity, equity, and inclusion as controversial, highlighting debates or policy disputes. Yet in daily practice, she sees a different picture: “Everyday conversations with students, faculty, healthcare leaders, and patients…there is a broad recognition that good care is culturally and linguistically competent care, and there’s a focus on the patient,” she says.

Why Cultural and Linguistic Competency Matters

Cultural and linguistic competency is essential for nurses to care for their patients effectively. It goes beyond simply knowing different cultures and languages; it involves understanding, respecting, and adapting to a patient’s cultural background and communication preferences: “Some people argue that care is very scientific. Nurses and healthcare providers make decisions around patient care based on data, irrespective of differences in identity, points of view, or perspectives. However, that’s flawed because human interaction is such an important part of the patient-provider interaction,” says Dr. Patel. “Culturally and linguistically relevant communication has the potential to help us to meet our goals around health equity.”

Culturally and linguistically sensitive care improves patient-provider relationships and leads to better health outcomes: “People won’t return to a provider, office, or point of contact within the healthcare system where they are uncomfortable or feel like they are just another number. And when patients have those kinds of negative interactions, it increases health inequities. When we look at the data, those patients are often people of color, working class, low income, women, elderly, or immigrants,” says Dr. Patel. 

When healthcare providers are culturally and linguistically competent, they can create a safe, welcoming environment that encourages patients to return for follow-up appointments, share detailed health information, and participate actively in their care. This leads to improved patient engagement, greater adherence to treatment plans, and, ultimately, better health outcomes. 

Providing this type of care benefits more than just the patient: “The world is so incredibly diverse. Even if you live in rural America in a racially homogenous community, there are socioeconomic classes. There are so many visible and invisible differences within a community that can be supported or punished. If we are not open to differences or judgmental about other perspectives, our own quality of life is not ideal or optimized either,” says Dr. Patel.  “When it comes to cultural and linguistic competency, I want every human being to know that it benefits them, regardless of their own identity. It’s not just something you’re doing for somebody else or because it’s fashionable. It’s not just about them. It’s about all of us.”

How to Develop Cultural and Linguistic Awareness

Developing cultural and linguistic awareness is an ongoing process that requires continuous education, self-reflection, and, in some cases, formal training: “You can attend a training course, which I think is wonderful and useful. They’re good for getting information and connecting with others in the community who have a similar commitment to being their best, most effective selves,” says Dr. Patel. “It’s about practice and integrating what you learned into how you care for patients. It’s also much more than your career because you can’t have this sensibility in one aspect of your life but none the other aspects of your life. Ultimately, it is a profound commitment to humility, thinking with an open heart, listening to people, and not stereotyping.” 

To develop the skills necessary to provide culturally and linguistically competent care, nurses need to be well cared for: “So many nurses have such heavy loads and so much labor and don’t always get as much respect as they deserve. Research shows that compassion fatigue can set in and impact one’s ability to be one’s best self when caring for patients. Systems and leaders need to create contexts in nursing labor that allow nurses to slow down and bring everything they can to their work,” says Dr. Patel.

The Role of Institutions and Schools In Linguistic and Cultural Awareness

In addition to individual efforts, institutions and schools have a crucial role in promoting cultural and linguistic awareness among nurses: “Nurses need to be paid well, have a sense of security in their jobs, have great benefits, and have working conditions that foster respect from colleagues and patients. They need to have things in place that make them feel safe. The hospitals need to be appropriately staffed with nurses to provide the quality of care that every patient deserves,” says Dr. Patel. 

“Something that executives and leaders can do is look at how their economic model facilitates optimal conditions for nurses to reduce the health inequities within the system. Nurses are uniquely positioned to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate care, but must be taken care of.”

More traditional ways schools can play an integral role include embedding cultural competence modules into the core nursing curriculum and providing a robust foundation for understanding and appreciating cultural diversity. These modules can encompass case studies, simulations, and role-plays reflecting real-world scenarios, facilitating practical learning. Beyond theoretical knowledge, such educational programs can equip nurses with essential skills to navigate cultural nuances, build empathetic patient-provider relationships, and deliver effective care across various cultural backgrounds.