Cultural Competency

Training Information

Requirement for medical facility to conduct training relating specifically to cultural competency for any agent or employee of the facility who provides care to a patient or resident of the facility so that such an agent or employee may better understand patients or residents who have different cultural backgrounds.

Responsible Party

Who Must Complete Training?

Any agent or employee of the facility who provides care to a patient or resident of the facility.

Deadlines

When Do I Need to Complete?

All employees who provide patient care are required to be trained upon hire.

Method

How Do I Get Trained?

Health facilities must continue to train staff in accordance with the current nondiscrimination requirements (NRS 449.101 – NRS 449.104). However, since these statutes do not require training to be repeated, once the training is received from an approved program, it results in compliance with these laws. For facilities that choose to employ an approved third-party trainer, a list of such programs can be found at DPBH Cultural Competency webpage.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about the approved training programs, e-mail DPBHCulturalCompetencyTraining@health.nv.gov.

Benefit/Penalty

Why Should I be Trained?

Evidence shows that cultural competency training improves knowledge of health care staff, raises attitudes of the client population and, ultimately, accelerates patient satisfaction through acceptance from their providers and environment. There are suggestions that a culturally competent healthcare facility also leads to more patients following medical orders and care as primary health care and behavioral comfort are inextricably connected. Facility inspection processes will check to see that training is being accomplished and complaints will continue to be investigated where noncompliance with these laws is alleged. Penalties include possible citations and administrative penalties which can affect hospital licensure.

Authority

The legal mandate requiring reporting

NRS 449.103 Regulations requiring training relating specifically to cultural competency for any agent or employee of a facility.

1. To enable an agent or employee of a medical facility, facility for the dependent or facility which is otherwise required by regulations adopted by the Board pursuant to NRS 449.0303 to be licensed who provides care to a patient or resident of the facility to more effectively treat patients or care for residents, as applicable, the Board shall, by regulation, require such a facility to conduct training relating specifically to cultural competency for any agent or employee of the facility who provides care to a patient or resident of the facility so that such an agent or employee may better understand patients or residents who have different cultural backgrounds, including, without limitation, patients or residents who are:

(a) From various racial and ethnic backgrounds;

(b) From various religious backgrounds;

(d) Children and senior citizens;

(e) Persons with a mental or physical disability; and

(f) Part of any other population that such an agent or employee may need to better understand, as determined by the Board.

2. The training relating specifically to cultural competency conducted by a medical facility, facility for the dependent or facility which is otherwise required by regulations adopted by the Board pursuant to NRS 449.0303 to be licensed pursuant to subsection 1 must be provided through a course or program that is approved by the Department of Health and Human Services.

(Added to NRS by 2019, 1334, 1681; A 2021, 3441)

Current Documents

Documents related to this reporting

DISCLAIMER

Although many of these requirements apply to individual medical professionals and other types of hospitals and health care facilities, the information is presented solely to support Critical Access Hospitals. The reporting requirements and legal mandates on this site are not an exhaustive list and Nevada Rural Hospital Partners, Inc. bears no responsibility or liability for any hospitals' or providers' failure to comply with Federal or State laws or regulations.

Reporting And Data

cultural_competency