Question:

This essay asks you to demonstrate your understanding and application of Cultural Competency to health care practice.

The following information will be included in your essay:

Identify your cultural values (regardless if you are of a race or ethnicity)

A reflection of your own cultural values.

A strengths-based approach to culturally competent healthcare, with a rationale that respects diversity and celebrates it (can be included in the following discussion).

If a person is preparing to have a general assessment, they should consider their cultural needs.

(The person in waiting for the assessment has not yet completed the actual general health assessment).

Answer to Question: CUC107 Cultural Intelligence And Capability

A key aspect of healthcare is culturally competent nursing.

It is a growing concern in all sectors of healthcare, because it has become easier to accept diverse peoples from all parts of the world (Moore und al. 2017 pp: 320).

It is becoming increasingly important that healthcare professionals are able to recognize the differences in cultures of patients and offer care that is culturally sensitive.

Research has shown that cultural tolerance is vital for reducing health inequalities (Gallagher & POlanin 2015 pp. 337).

They believe that culturally competent nursing can help improve access to high quality healthcare. It is also respectful of patient’s rights and responsive to their needs.

These nurses must be sensitive to the cultural needs of patients in all situations. 2014 pp 90).

This assignment will highlight the components that nurses must include in their care practice for students so they can provide the best care for culturally diverse clients.

An example scenario would be presented to show how nurses should treat patients with different cultural backgrounds admitted to wards.Case Scenario:

After she fell in her garden, a middle aged woman of Islam was admitted at the ward.

The wounds to her head and skin on her hand caused severe bleeding.

Although partially unconscious, she was capable of responding and speaking feebly.

She was brought in by her husband, who suffered from similar vertigo-like symptoms.

The male healthcare provider who was in charge of the emergency room advised her for blood transfusions in light of the loss in blood.

It was necessary to take off her hijaab to allow for the sewing of skin tears and dressing of wounds.

My nurse colleague and I had to stop her husband from performing many of our activities in the ward.

One of the first issues was that the husband and wife complained that they could not expose the patient’s bodies to a male healthcare worker. This was in direct violation of the norms.

The second issue was that she was not allowed blood from non-Christian sources.

Both of these issues were quite troubling as they disrupted the normal flow of treatment that we do every day.

Additionally, they could not communicate in English so it was difficult for us make the husband or wife aware of the urgent situation.

Later they said that we were disrespectful to them as we had made eye contact and talked with them. This was not something they liked.

Over 8 family members came to the hospital, wanting to meet their patient. But they are not permitted to. Emergency patients are not allowed to interact with more than one person.

All of this upset them, claiming that their feelings and emotions weren’t respected since they were religious people.

We were upset at the whole situation. The entire episode with the patient and his family was frustrating because we were constantly interrupted in all aspects of her medical assessments.

Cultural Competency:

After receiving harsh criticism from the nursing mentor about the way that we had conducted her assessments, we were finally able to recognize the mistakes made.

Different cultures have their own traditions and norms. Nursing is a profession that emphasizes the importance and responsibility of respecting cultural preferences and ensuring that patients are treated with dignity, respect and autonomy. Long 2014 pp. 475.

Researchers define culture as the thoughts and communications of individuals, including their beliefs, customs, beliefs or values.

Nursing should have the ability to adapt to cultural differences and be able, through the development of cultural competency, to become competent in the delivery of healthcare. 2013 pp: 55).

Researchers believe that nurses who can demonstrate cultural competence in the care of patients and in their practices can increase patient satisfaction. 2014 pp: 260 ).

Empowerment of Self Awareness through Reflection:

Researchers have identified several strategies that nurses can use to develop cultural competency.

As stated by the researchers, the first is to develop self awareness and sensibility.

Every human being was raised in a particular environment that influenced cultural beliefs and values.

They use these cultural preferences and insecurities to guide their lives, and they also judge the morality behind the actions they take (Diaz. 2015 pp: 25).

Socialization allows culture to be learned and passed on from one generation of people to another.

Researchers have supported the idea that humans develop the habits of viewing others’ actions through the lens of their cultural morals.

These are important because healthcare professionals will not be able to justify actions of others which align with their own culture values (Almutairi McArthy Gardner 2015 pp.20).

It is often difficult to reconcile the activities of patients with one’s own beliefs.

The main goal of nursing care is to be dominant, not by judging others’ cultural beliefs (Ndiwane Koul und Theroux 2014.

It is important for nurses to reflect on her beliefs and actions in order to increase cultural awareness.

Researchers believe that cultural awareness can only be developed through effective reflection. A professional can become more aware of the similarities and contrasts between different cultures by paying attention to them.

Different people have different approaches and ways of healing. Understanding the differences between cultures will allow nurses to avoid making assumptions about their patients’ culture.

Reflection helps nurses develop cultural awareness.

This would allow the nurse to be aware of and also help with cultural sensitivity.

In this case, if we had thought about our own cultural beliefs, traditions and beliefs and also connected with the cultural beliefs of Muslim patients, their actions would not be deemed to have been immoral. Our suggestions and complaints would not have been unjustified.

We could have understood their perspective and offered a culturally acceptable practice to them if were culturally aware.

We wouldn’t have attempted to interpret their decisions using our own perspectives, which would have not made the situation worse.

My Cultural Values and Virtues

I was unaware that I was a cultural stereotyper.

I used to believe I was open-minded to all cultures and that I valued every culture equally.

It is possible that my lack of cultural interaction during university years has led me to believe I don’t have biases towards other cultures.

It was when I encountered some issues with the Islam patient that I realized my inner biases.

I wasn’t open-minded enough about other cultures to be able to handle culturally sensitive cases.

I became aware that I was culturally dominated because I treated other cultures according to my cultural preferences.

With the help of my mentor, I realized the issues I must address in the future.Knowledge:

These three essential components are important to cultivate cultural competency in nursing.

These components are primarily about developing proper attitudes, increasing knowledge and skills to manage patients from various backgrounds.

The first component involves the acquisition of cultural knowledge.

The nurses must take initiative to understand the cultural preferences, habits, habits, inhibitions, and other characteristics of the patients of different cultural backgrounds who are admitted to the healthcare facility (Alpers et al. 2014 pp: 1001).

They should make every effort to include this information in their care plans. This will ensure that they are able to provide care in accordance with patients’ preferences and not create a barrier.

It is vital to be aware of the ethnicity of patients, as well as the common genetic elements shared and followed by them in line with their ancestry.

The case illustrated shows that if we had been aware of the Muslim culture, preferences and traditions, we would have been able develop options and ways to assess patients using techniques that wouldn’t have upset them (Han, Chochung 2015pp: 2015).

We would have been able to know how they prefer to receive their treatments, so female nurses wouldn’t have hesitated to approach her.

We could have cut clothing only where there was bleeding without asking her to remove the hijab.

We would have avoided eye contact with them. Also, we could have permitted a lot of relatives to be present in a strategically planned manner.

Researchers suggested ways to do this, such as searching city websites for demographic data and doing specific research within cultural group. Also, visiting the university library in the area will allow us to access resources that can be used to learn about different cultures.Attitudes:

The second aspect that should be included in every individual’s care is the development of culturally competent attitudes.

All nurses should encourage an open-minded mindset so that they are able to show respect for all cultures.

An inappropriate attitude or self bias can lead to restrictive practices and a nurse’s inability to care for her patients.

The nurse’s attitude must reflect honesty and respect for all cultures. Any negative feelings towards any culture will have an adverse effect on patient care.

Positive attitudes and the recognition and debunking stereotypes are important.

Negative attitudes show a lack in sensitivity to patients’ needs.

Kim and Kim (2013)pp: 166. Therefore, it is crucial to consider one’s cultural mindset so that stereotypical tendencies are not affecting the quality of patient care.

In the example, we had an overpowering attitude that didn’t allow us to understand the Muslim patient and made judgments about their actions.

Such actions reflect our negative attitudes.Skills:

The next step is to learn the correct skills that will enable you to demonstrate cultural competency.

It is essential to learn the language in order to be culturally competent.

Truong et.al. 2014 pp: 99).

Learning flexibility is also essential in order to adapt to different situations in the hospital.

In order to avoid patients feeling unfamiliar in the healthcare environment, it is essential that they feel comfortable and have a good relationship with their patients.

Understanding the patients’ needs and providing the correct care with modified techniques increases patient satisfaction.

These situations wouldn’t have gotten so complicated if we had been able communicate effectively with the family members and patients.

If we could have developed a good relationship with them and made them feel part of the healthcare system by giving dignity, this situation would have been more responsible.Conclusion:

For healthcare professionals to give the best care, cultural competence is essential.

Healthcare professionals need not be prejudiced against other cultures or have stereotypes. This will help increase patient satisfaction.

So that they don’t mask the cultural preferences and beliefs of patients, healthcare professionals must be open to reflecting on their own culture.

Professionals who are skilled in cultural competency can help you develop cultural self awareness.

It is essential to have the proper knowledge, attitudes and skills in order to develop cultural competency.

When these elements are in place, the healthcare professional can provide excellent care to such patients.

With the proper use of the case scenario it can be identified how cultural awareness would have ensured the best patient care.References:

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