Other countries, other customs - intercultural competence for hospital staff

Meeting and dealing with people from different cultural backgrounds and with different values has long been part of everyday working life in many healthcare and social professions. The ability to recognize and take into account intercultural contexts is an important key qualification in order to avoid misunderstandings, stress and conflicts and to generate positions for action - especially in the working environment of a hospital, which is often characterized by time pressure and regulations. Successful communication and action in an intercultural context that is effective for everyone involved requires knowledge and awareness of one's own values, boundaries and cultural roots, as well as those of the other person. Such knowledge is the basis for reducing anger and misunderstanding and developing the opposite, namely understanding.

• Teaching key skills for intercultural understanding
• Cultural influences and values: Self-reflection and reflection on others, change of perspective
• Intercultural communication
• Dealing constructively with cultural differences (cultural dimensions, value orientations and behavior) in everyday hospital life, including dealing with hierarchies, dealing with time/time management, direct versus indirect communication style, factual orientation versus relationship orientation, individualism versus collectivism