Page 76 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

4C H A P T E R

Communication and Cultural Competence

Objectives

• Describe aspects of cultural competence.
• Explain the differences between assimilation, enculturation, and acculturation.
• Discuss the dimensions of diversity in the workplace.
• Compare the cultural competence models.
• Identify key counseling strategies effective in culturally diverse populations.

CASE CHALLENGE 1

Judy R. is a new registered dietitian nutritionist whose responsibilities at the medical center
frequently involve nutrition interviewing, counseling, and community education. Many of her clients are
from cultural and ethnic groups other than her own. They are mainly Mexican, Puerto Rican, Thai, and
Korean. She is finding it somewhat overwhelming to understand the variety of unfamiliar foods that they
eat. This also inhibits her ability to provide appropriate food alternatives as she counsels them on modifying
their diets. She wants to increase her effectiveness as a counselor.
What we need to do is learn to respect and embrace our differences until our differences don’t make a difference in how
we are treated.

—Yolanda King

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