ETNA is pleased to share our latest blog, Cultural Competence in Healthcare in the Context of Patients’ Rights: Good Practices in Poland, written by Małgorzata Nagórska (PhD, MA, BMid, PDip, RM, FETNA), Associate Professor and Head of Department at the Medical College of the University of Rzeszow, Poland.
This blog explores how cultural competence and patients’ rights intersect in everyday healthcare practice, with a particular focus on the Polish healthcare context. It highlights how respect for dignity, informed consent, communication, and equitable access to care are influenced by cultural, social, and structural factors.
Drawing on examples of good practice, the blog demonstrates how culturally responsive approaches can strengthen the protection of patients’ rights, build trust in healthcare services, and enhance care quality for diverse patient populations. It also reflects on the practical and ethical challenges healthcare professionals face when translating legal rights into culturally sensitive care in real-world settings.
By situating cultural competence within a rights-based framework, this blog offers valuable insights for practitioners, educators, and policymakers committed to ethical, inclusive, and person-centred healthcare.
