Five Areas that Can Affect Nursing Care
The person interviewed during the earlier exercise was from the Hispanic community. Competent nurses should be able to provide adequate care and support to patients from this American racial group (Ohana & Mash, 2015). However, some barriers or areas have the potential to affect the quality of nursing care available to a patient from the Hispanic culture. The first area is that of spirituality. A good percentage of Hispanics in the United States are Catholics. Some other members of the community are Protestants. Caregivers should, therefore, be aware of this area in order to offer quality medical support.
The second area that can impact the quality and nature of nursing care to members of this community is communication. The Hispanic community is characterized by “limited proficiency in the English language” (Landale & Oropesa, 2007, p. 386). The issue of communication makes it hard for members of this racial group to obtain adequate health information and care. The third area is the prevalence of high-risk behaviors (Landale & Oropesa, 2007).
Many Hispanic Americans “do not embrace the importance of prenatal care, ambulatory visits, and preventative healthcare services” (Landale & Oropesa, 2007, p. 389). They also consume a wide range of food materials without considering critical issues such as quantity and diet. These behaviors have the potential to impact the health experiences and outcomes of these people.
The fourth area is that of healthcare practitioners. Ohana and Mash (2015) indicate that the United States has a small number of Hispanic medical professionals and practitioners. This gap forces the cultural group to seek medical care from non-Hispanic practitioners. This gap must be addressed in order to empower members of this community. The fifth area to consider when providing care to members of this community focuses on pregnancy and childbearing practices (Triana, Garcia, & Colella, 2010). Many Hispanics do not use contraceptives. As well, members of the family rejoice whenever a new baby is born.
Accommodation and Change in Nursing Care
Nurses are trained to deliver evidence-based and culturally-competent care to patients from diverse backgrounds. Although there are various cultural barriers and areas that might impact the quality of health care available to members of the Hispanic community, nurse practitioners (NPs) should use the best strategies in order to support them. To begin with, caregivers should be able to fulfill the spiritual needs of these individuals.
This approach will ensure every targeted player engages in specific practices such as prayer and meditation. The NPs should also focus on effective communication. Caregivers should also use appropriate educational methods to ensure more Hispanic patients are provided with quality health information (Ohana & Mash, 2015). Family members should also be informed about every healthcare practice or process.
Caregivers should also discourage members of this community from engaging in various risky behaviors. They should also be encouraged to eat balanced diets. Healthcare providers should use their skills to deliver culturally-competent care to more patients from this community. As well, practitioners should sensitize these individuals about the importance of getting proper prenatal and antenatal care. This approach will improve the community’s quality of life (Jeffreys, 2008). These changes and accommodations will ensure members of this community receive the best care.
My Cultural Competency
Summary of the Cultural Competency Test
The completed Cultural Competence Checklist shows clearly that I work hard to offer quality care to patients from diverse backgrounds. To begin with, I always treat every client with dignity and respect for his or her culture (Jeffreys, 2008). I can also provide adequate care to the GLBTQ population. I always promote the best behaviors and encourage family members to be involved in every treatment process. I also accept the fact that there are several dialects of English in the United States. Individuals who use foreign accents or have limited English skills should not be regarded as intellectually incompetent (Douglas et al., 2011). I also understand that culture is something that can affect feeding, communication, self-help skills, and personal discipline.
I always focus on the issue of culture in order to provide the most desirable care and support to patients from diverse backgrounds. I also use humor, make positive decisions, and maintain eye contact (Landale & Oropesa, 2007). Such measures have the potential to support the health demands of many persons from diverse cultures.
How My Cultural Competency Has Changed
I strongly believe that the completed class activities and exercises have improved my cultural-competence skills as a healthcare provider. I now understand that different cultural groups have unique practices and behaviors that can influence their health outcomes. I will always collaborate with these patients in order to deliver the most desirable care (Douglas et al., 2011). It will be necessary to consider the major areas that might affect the nature of medical care available to them. The exercises have informed me about the effectiveness of positive communication and the use of multidisciplinary teams. The ultimate goal is to ensure every patient receives quality medical support.
Caregivers should be able to support the spiritual needs of their patients. Such practitioners should address various barriers that might impact their patients’ health needs. Patients’ cultural values, spiritual positions, worldviews, and health expectations should always be considered in order to offer the most desirable care. I will, therefore, use these new insights and ideas to develop a new philosophy of nursing (Triana et al., 2010). The philosophy will always make it easier for me to provide culturally-competent care.
My Learning and Nursing Care
The ideas and competencies gained from this class can be used to transform the nature of care available to patients from diverse cultures. The “first issue to consider is the effectiveness of patient advocacy” (Douglas et al., 2011, p. 320). A culturally-competent caregiver will use patient education to ensure every person is aware of the health delivery process. Different stakeholders and family members should also be involved throughout the treatment process. This approach will support the needs of the targeted patients.
Healthcare practitioners should be aware of the spiritual, health behaviors, and dietary practices embraced by different cultural groups. The provided health support and care should be in accordance with the patient’s cultural expectations (Triana et al., 2010).
The newly-acquired information will, therefore, make it easier for me to provide evidence-based support to many patients in the future. I will also use this knowledge to create multidisciplinary teams whenever treating patients from diverse backgrounds. I will also focus on the eight-core components of nursing in order to produce quality results. In conclusion, healthcare practitioners should always offer culturally-competent care to more patients from diverse backgrounds. The practice will improve the lives and health outcomes of many diverse populations.
Reference List
Douglas, M., Pierce, J., Rosenkoetter, M., Pacquiao, D., Callister, L., Hattar-Pollara, M.,…Purnell, L. (2011). Standards of practice for culturally competent nursing care: 2011 update. Journal of Trans-cultural Nursing, 22(4), 317-333.
Jeffreys, M. (2008). Dynamics of diversity: becoming better nurses through diversity awareness. NSNA Imprint, 1(1), 37-41.
Landale, S., & Oropesa, S. (2007). Hispanic families: stability and change. Annual Review of Sociology, 33(1), 381-405.
Ohana, S., & Mash, R. (2015). Physician and patient perceptions of cultural competency and medical compliance. Health Education Research, 30(6), 923-934.
Triana, M., Garcia, F., & Colella, A. (2010). Managing diversity: how organizational efforts to support diversity moderate the effects of perceived racial discrimination on affective commitment. Personnel Psychology, 63(4), 817-843.