Embracing Diversity
Intercultural Competence in Healthcare
Healthcare teams in hospitals and care facilities are increasingly culturally diverse. When caring for international patients, misunderstandings and tensions can arise—especially under time pressure and staff shortages.
Calm and Clear Communication, High-Quality Care
Cultural Diversity in Clinical Practice: Challenge and Opportunity
This seminar provides practical guidance on how such situations arise, the values and assumptions underlying them, and how misunderstandings can be resolved constructively. Through case studies, participants learn to build trusting relationships with patients and foster respectful, effective collaboration within culturally diverse teams.
When Care Meets Diversity
Case Study – The Healing Ritual
In the private patient unit of a Berlin hospital, the medical and nursing team receives an unusual request. Mr. H., a patient from an Arab country in the Middle East, is in a single room. His condition is very serious, and his family is deeply concerned. The relatives ask the medical staff for permission to perform a traditional “healing ritual,” which involves anointing the patient’s body with the fresh blood of a ritually slaughtered goat.
In training, we reflect on questions such as:
When Care Meets Diversity
Case Study – Patient Activation
Mrs. Pavlowa works as a nurse in the orthopedic unit. She is caring and compassionate, and particularly popular with older patients. However, Unit Manager Mrs. Scholz is not satisfied with her approach. Tatjana tends to wash and feed patients even when it isn’t necessary. Instead of helping them regain independence or encouraging them to manage tasks on their own, she over-supports them, treating them like helpless individuals.
Mrs. Scholz has clearly explained the concept of “Patient Activation” to Tatjana. Although Tatjana listened politely, she feels deeply upset. Her supervisor seems cold and distant, and she doesn’t feel understood. What did she do wrong? She only wants the best for her patients.
In training, we explore perspective-taking:
