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Cultural Competence

Cultural Competence at RCSI

Intercultural competencies are those skills, knowledge and attitudes that comprise a person’s ability to get along with, work and learn with people from diverse cultures. Higher education can provide an excellent opportunity for students and staff to explore and practise the development of intercultural competencies. However, there is both anecdotal and research evidence to suggest that this does not always happen, nor does it happen by chance.

RCSI is dedicated to “Developing healthcare leaders who make a difference worldwide” and the ability to deal appropriately and effectively with people of all cultures is an essential element of this. We want everyone who works or studies with us to have an understanding and acceptance of people from different cultures and to be able to work skilfully with them. The unique multicultural environment of the College allows staff and students to develop their cultural competence and we are actively committed to providing learning opportunities and support to both staff and students in this important field through a variety of means.

College courses and events to enhance your cultural competence:

Staff and Students

  • It’s in our DNA: Online introductory course on the topic of cultural competence for all staff and students. This is a 30 minute multimedia module which is designed to introduce the topic of cultural competence in RCSI and build common understanding and language on the topic. You can find a link to the course here.
  • Cultural Competence and Diversity Awareness Lecture Series: Variety of topics with leading speakers in the field. Further details to follow.
  • Library Resources: New dedicated section in RCSI library focusing on Cultural Competence.
  • Cultural Diversity Month: Every March the College holds a month long celebration of cultural diversity in RCSI including International Night, Cultural Exhibitions etc. These events showcase the culture, traditions, food and arts from our student’s home countries.

Students

  • International Citizenship Programme: In 2016 we launched a 2 year programme culminating in a formal award which encourages students to reflect on and develop the skills, values and attitudes that they will need to work effectively in a culturally diverse healthcare environment. Each student works with a staff mentor for the duration of the programme. Further details on the programme can be found here.
  • Language Support: Support is available to individuals or groups experiencing communication challenges due to language difficulties. This service is available through the Student Engagement and Development Centre.

Staff

  • Teaching in a Cross Cultural Environment: Classroom based session exploring strategies for improving the international student experience from a teaching and learning perspective. For further details please email Staff_L&D@rcsi.ie 
  • Cultural Competence Portal Page: A dedicated page on the staff portal to highlight the range of opportunities to build cultural competence and provide further useful resources.

If you are aware of any other activities across College that support staff and students in developing cultural competence please let us know so that we can highlight them here. Email: culturalcompetence@rcsi.ie

Further Resources:

To further develop your skills in this important area you may be interested in the following resources:

All Staff:

  • The simple gesture of correctly pronouncing someone’s name is very powerful in conveying respect and inclusivity. Pronouncenames.com is a useful resource – but if in doubt, just ask the person themselves.
  • The Hofstede Centre and INSEAD offer valuable tools to help you visualise cultural differences and their impact.
  • ICOS (Irish Council for International Students) are an independent advocacy organisation for all international students in Ireland.
  • Implicit Association Tests created by Harvard University, University of Virginia and University of Washington to better understand your own unconscious biases.
  • This HSE Intercultural Guide is a very helpful resource on responding to the needs of diverse religious communities and cultures in a healthcare setting.
  • For those of you working on international collaborations, this Lynda.com video course on Managing International Projects has some useful tips on handling cross cultural differences.

Teaching Staff:

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