A personal worldview is a representation or framework that includes values, beliefs, and principles, which influence one’s interpretation of reality (Denisco & Barker, 2016). My personal worldview explains the way I view life and live my life through the assumptions and beliefs I held in response to the world around me. As a professing Christian, I believe that God placed me in this world for a specific reason- to be a leader through the field of nursing. While I may have had the traits and makings of a leader, the art and science of healing have grown in me by way of health care. Nursing is a calling from God to ensure the wholeness and healing of the sick and hurting. It requires taking responsibility to continue to grow in character development, human connection, and compassion. As a nurse, one must identify his or her personal weaknesses and struggles, and be able to work through those challenges so that he or she can address the problems of other people.
Connect your worldview to cultural/spiritual competence – The basis of cultural or spiritual competence is the awareness that differences between people exist, without assigning any value, bias, or prejudice upon them. In other words, we should never assume that these differences are negative and not to demand complete assimilation toward the dominant culture.
This viewpoint is consistent with the nursing profession’s upholding of patient advocacy, patient-centered care, and to respect the rights and dignity of all patients. Furthermore, cultural and spiritual competence is not limited to race, culture, or religion. It also addresses issues regarding gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Conversely, these issues or factors can affect the patient’s worldview and interaction with the health care system. Nurses should be able to shift their perspective from what they considered normal or expected may not be an ordinary behavior in another culture or group. It is essential that nurses be able to identify that a patient’s experience with health care is influenced by his or her beliefs, culture, and religion; adjusting their behavior to fit within the norms of another culture.
Influence of worldview to cultural/spiritual competence – As a perioperative nurse, military, and an aspiring clinical nurse leader, I have a duty to support, sustain, and respect life. I can fulfill this through continued education in cultural competency, and broaden my knowledge to be mindful that all humans, particularly those under my care need relief, respect, and appreciation. Patients are vulnerable, and during the times that they are in my care, they may have fears and uncertainties, and I believe that it is my duty to help restore or preserve their health. Advancing my career will only enhance what I already know, and it should give my better perspective about concepts and principles of diversity, including interprofessional relationships.
As a part of a multi-cultural health team, we can identify mechanisms that will allow the integration of all existing knowledge affecting nursing care of various populations affected by health disparities (Yoder-Wise, 2010). It is also important to maintain a culturally diverse staff population. Nurses who belong to a diverse staff-mix are equally important to a culturally diverse patient population because the nurse who may potentially belong to a particular race or group can serve as a conduit toward the delivery of culturally competent care. Overall, cultural and spiritual competence does not require nurses to completely change their worldview; it simply means that they must accept others without judgment, and adjust their behaviors to respect other cultures (Denisco & Barker, 2016).
