The importance of cultural awareness and tolerance in EMS Term Paper - 1

The importance of cultural awareness and tolerance in EMS - Term Paper Example Italians perceive Americans as people who are always on the go; always talking about work and business over lunch or drinks. Italians view meal times as a time to keep off business and time to engage in social connotations. Since culture is not conscious, people cannot become fully aware of their cultural dynamics (Fuller; 200). Sometimes, EMS personnel have to step outside their cultural boundaries in order to take care of their patients effectively. Cultural competence enables EMS personnel to provide care to diverse populations. However, there are challenges that EMS personnel face in their quest to deliver competent patient care through cultural awareness. It sometimes becomes difficult for EMS personnel to deliver patient centred services when the beliefs of the patient are not in tandem with medical guidelines. This is one of the challenges that EMS personnel face in their line of duty. Cultural competence gives medical personnel the ability to interact with patients of varied cultures. When EMS personnel respond to a call, they are introduced to the patients’ life and are also forced to consider the patient’s culture. Culture plays a significant part in communication and medical care given to the patient. Regardless of their qualifications, the first people to arrive at a pre hospital d isaster scene are all known as EMS personnel. Therefore, EMS personnel include a whole lot of emergency workers like fire fighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians. The extended family of EMS personnel includes dispatchers, support services and administrative staff. As much as the entire EMS fraternity is involved in the effective functioning of the emergency system, it is the EMS personnel on the frontline that really need to be culturally competent because they are often in direct contact with the patients. Cultural competency involves the ability to recognize and obtain cultural facts concerning a patients’