Bridging
Cultural Communication
Instructor:Â Hedi Aguiar RN, BA(Hons), MSN
As a TCK (Third Culture Kid), Hedi is passionate about helping professionals improve upon their cross- and intercultural communication. As Hedi always says, "every conversation is a cross- or intercultural conversation, it does not matter whether you are speaking to your boss, your colleague, your spouse, or your child."
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Deep-seated misunderstandings of the definition of culture, the relationship between culture and communication, and its impact on our daily communication and interactions professionally and personally, can result in devastating and poor outcomes, both in relationships and in work outcomes.
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We provide the framework for understanding terms and equip the learner with tools and practical considerations on how to overcome cultural barriers, practice cultural humility, and improve cross- and intercultural communication.
About Hedi
Hedi grew-up as a TCK and has had various international experiences. Having lived on four different continents and in seven different countries, she is quadrilingual and from a young age, cultural humility and integration was an expectation and a need to be able to adjust and adapt quickly to her ever-changing environment.
While people always marveled at Hedi's upbringing and international experiences, Hedi did not consider it anything unusual, after all, she knew many other TCKs who had very similar stories and it was "just the way it was." When Hedi was working on her Masters degree to become a Clinical Nurse Specialist, her professors pointed out that her life-experiences could bring much value to the healthcare community for whom cross-cultural communication and cultural competence was and continues to be a hot topic.
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When Hedi learned that she could use her background to help the broader healthcare community, she decided to focus her final Master's project on cross-cultural communication. At the time, Hedi was working for an Organ Procurement Organization and thus, her primary focus was on how to help healthcare professionals communicate more effectively with and support families of varying cultures during end-of-life care.
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Hedi's approach to teaching cross- and intercultural communication is to help participants learn the meaning of various cultural terms, explain basic principles observed across cultures, and describe practical tools to employ to become a student of the person in the moment.
Previous Workshops & Presentations
AFDT - 14th Annual Living Donation Conference, CA - Presentation - 2023: Culture, Intelligence, and Communication
National Kidney Foundation - 23rd Annual Southwest Nephrology Conference, AZ - Presentation
2023: Bridging Cultural Gaps to Improve Communication & Interactions with Others
Mid-South Transplant Foundation - Staff workshop - 2023: Bridging Cultural Communication
Ochsner Medical Center Transplant Department - Staff workshop - 2022: Bridging Cultural Communication
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, NJ - 2nd Annual Shamkant Mulgaonkar, MD, Patient Safety & Quality Lecture
2022: Bridging Cultural Communication
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, NJ - Renal Transplant Preceptorship Symposium Keynote Presentation
2022: Developing Cultural Intelligence
Life Center Organ Donor Recovery Network, OH - Staff workshop - 2022: Bridging Cultural Communication
Legacy of Hope, AL - Staff workshop - 2022: Bridging Cultural Communication
AFDT - 13th Annual Living Donation Conference, FL - Presentation - 2022: Cultural Humility
LiveOnNY, NY - Staff workshop - 2022: Bridging Cultural Communication part 1 & part 2
Gift of Hope, IL - Virtual staff workshop - 2021: Bridging Cultural Communication
Iowa Donor Network, IA - Virtual The Ripple Effect A Donate Life Conference Keynote presentation -
2021: Bridging Cultural Communication
Southwest Transplant Alliance, TX - Staff workshop - 2021: Bridging Cultural Communication
AFDT - 12th Annual Living Donation Conference - Virtual Conference Presentation
2021: Bridging Cultural Communication Through Cultural Humility
Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, LA - Staff workshop - 2021: Bridging Cultural Communication
LifeGift, TX - Staff workshop - 2020: Focused on Being Extraordinary: Bridging Cultural Communication
Southwest Transplant Alliance, TX - Staff workshop - 2020: Bridging Cultural Communication
Life Center Organ Donor Recovery Network, OH - Staff workshop - 2019: Bridging Cultural Communication
LifeSource, MN - Sparks Donation & Transplantation Symposium presentation - 2019 : Bridging Cultural Communication
Iowa Donor Network - All Staff Workshop - 2017: Cross-Cultural Communication Skills - We should be talking about this
Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency - Staff workshop - 2015: Cross-cultural communication workshop
St. Vincent Medical Center, CA - Transplant Grandrounds -
2015: Understanding cross-cultural communication differences and how to communicate effectively
LifeSource, MN - Staff Workshop - 2015: Cross-cultural communication workshop
Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, CA - Grandrounds - 2014: Cross-cultural communication in end-of-life care and the donation decision.
Totally Trauma Conference, CA - Plenary Presentation - 2013: Cross-cultural communication in end-of-life and the donation decision.
5th Annual Organ Donation Collaborative, VA - 2013: No two heroes are alike: Developing cross-cultural communication skills
AOPO Annual Meeting, IN - Breakout Session - 2013: We all have hearts: Cross-cultural communication to reach common ground
Cultural Diversity Symposium, CA - Presentation - 2012: Laying foundations for cross-cultural communication
UCSF Transplant Symposium, CA - Breakout Session - 2012: Multi-cultural considerations in donation & transplantation
National Learning Congress, TX - Breakout Session - 2012: Developing organ procurement staff cross-cultural communication skills
Midwest Transplant Network, MO - Staff Training Day - 2012: Cross-cultural communication skills: we should be talking about this
DSA Action & Regional Strategy Meeting, AZ - Plenary Session
- 2012: Foundations & framework for culturally sensitive end-of-life care
AOPO TriCouncil Meeting, FL - HD Council Session - 2012: Cross-cultural communication skills for OPO staff
Organ Donation Symposium, CA - 2011: Cultural considerations in end-of-life care and the donation decision. (co-presentation)
HRSA WPFL Learning Series - Webinar - 2012: Supporting multicultural professional and public education efforts (co-presentation)
DTCP Support & Advocacy Webinar - 2012: Laying the foundations and framework for culturally sensitive end-of-life care
LifeNet Health, VA - Staff webinar training - 2011: Multicultural considerations in Hospital Services
Donation Symposium, CA - Panel presentation - 2011: Cultural considerations in end-of-life care and the donation decision
ISODP / TTS, Argentina - Oral Abstract Presentation - 2011: Multicultural considerations in Hospital Services
NATCO Annual Meeting, CA - Breakout Session - 2011: Multicultural opportunities in Hospital Development
AOPO Annual Meeting, CO - HD Council Session - 2011: Multicultural opportunities for success in Hospital Services
Kaiser Permanente National Transplant Coordinator Annual Symposium, CA
- 2010: Multicultural opportunities for success in transplant services
ASMHTP Annual Meeting, NV - Plenary Session - 2009: Multicultural opportunities for success in Hospital Services
AOPO Annual Meeting, AZ - HD Council Session - 2008: Multicultural opportunities for success in Hospital Services - (co-presentation)