Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page

Key Terms

bias
tendency for or against a thing, person, or group, usually in an unfair manner
competemility
word created to combine “competence” and “humility” for cross-cultural delivery of care
cultural assessment
method for systematically gathering information about a patient’s cultural beliefs, values, practices, and perceptions as they relate to health care
cultural broker
person who translates sociocultural differences between cultures
cultural competence
ability of health-care professionals to provide effective care to patients from diverse cultural backgrounds
cultural humility
attitude of openness, self-reflection, and lifelong learning regarding cultural differences
cultural safety
aim of creating an environment that is safe, respectful, and affirming for individuals of all cultures, particularly those from marginalized or oppressed backgrounds
cultural sensitivity
awareness and recognition of cultural differences and the potential impact they may have on an individual’s beliefs, behaviors, and experiences
culture
characteristic beliefs, values, customs, traditions, behaviors, and artifacts shared by a particular group of people
ethnicity
social group that shares key cultural traits, including traditions, heritage, and ancestry
health disparity
difference in health outcome and access to health care between different population groups
race
social construct used to group people by certain physical, social, or geographic characteristics
socioeconomic status (SES)
measure of an individual’s social and financial standing in their community, encompassing factors such as income, education, and perceptions of social class
stereotype
widely held but oversimplified assumption about a particular group of people
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/medical-surgical-nursing/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/medical-surgical-nursing/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Jul 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.