Cultivating Wellness and Cultural Humility Through Self-Awareness and Self-Reflection

Abstract

When caring for patients of disenfranchised identities, healthcare professionals must be prepared for the complicated emotions they will face in providing equitable care. Through the practice of Physician Cultural Responsibility, one can learn to provide inclusive care and the skills to prevent burnout in doing so. The cases enclosed encourage learners to utilize cultural humility and intercultural communication skills to strengthen the healthcare professional's relationship with, ability to care for, and ability to advocate for the patient. Through discussions of intersectionality, the social determinants of health, and available resources, learners will explore both structural and individual barriers to health equity in two patients of diverse identities. A self-reflection technique is then displayed for the learner to increase their awareness of knowledge gaps, limitations, and both personal and professional biases, as well as protect themselves from burnout through unpacking difficult patient situations.