You are educating a mother on how to help her child best meet their developmental milestones. The facility that you are working in is located in the Appalachians. The young mother is clearly anxious about letting you hold the baby, and the baby begins to cry when you get too close. Your co-worker comes in the room to get something they need and makes this comment; “Oh, they all cry. You just need to take control and just take the baby and get done what you need to.” You notice the mother lower her head and hang onto the baby even tighter. What might you address with your co-worker in terms of culturally competency? How would you have handled this situation in a more culturally competent manner?

8. An older adult African American gentleman is being treated in your facility post stroke. When he is finished, his nursing aide makes is next appointment. Soon after they leave his wife calls, who is also African American, and cancels the appointment with a firm tone and expressing her upset. She then states that “all future appointments are to only be made through her and her only.” Please consider this from the viewpoint of what the role of the wife/woman is in the African American culture when you respond to this scenario; because we are addressing cultural aspects, so do your research. Initially what might be your assumptions and how might you address this in a culturally competent manner?

• What assumptions have been made
• What cultural context is impacting this interaction
• How would you have handled this differently