Which statement best distinguishes cultural safety from cultural competence, with an example?

• A. Cultural safety centers on patients’ perceptions of care and power dynamics; cultural competence focuses on provider knowledge and skills; example: asking patients how they prefer to be addressed and treated.
• B. Cultural safety centers on provider knowledge and skills; cultural competence focuses on patient perceptions.
• C. They are identical concepts.
• D. Cultural safety is about language translation.

Answer: (A)

Cultural safety is about how care feels to the patient—whether they feel safe, respected, and in control within the care relationship, considering their social and historical context and the power dynamics at play. It centers on the patient’s perceptions and their ability to voice concerns or preferences without feeling devalued. Cultural competence, by contrast, focuses on the clinician’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes for working effectively with diverse groups. The example of asking a patient how they would like to be addressed and treated demonstrates cultural safety because it foregrounds the patient’s voice, acknowledges their authority in the care relationship, and helps balance power. Language translation is too narrow and misses the relational and power aspects; and saying they’re identical or that safety only concerns provider knowledge misplaces the focus.