Like most professions around the world, nursing has undergone extensive transformations, with concepts previously practiced in the past currently replaced with newer and more flexible ones. For instance, the nursing profession has been traditionally taught around concepts of apprenticeship and behaviourally-focused concepts, such that, postmodern philosophies like feminism and humanity were ignored. However, recent times have seen the adoption of the latter concepts as nursing attempts to be more holistic and flexible. It is from this framework that I perceive the concept of culture as vital in the nursing profession. Though the concept has greatly clashed with traditional nursing philosophies, it is still gaining ground as an acceptable philosophy in the profession (McGee 2003, p. 129).
Though culture has several distinctions and interpretations, it generally defines human belief and behaviour. Comprehensively, the concept of culture is very broad but it generally refers to peoples’ way of life. Culture has many subsets including language, religion, arts and sciences, thoughts, spirituality, social activity, interaction and other factors. The concept of culture is important in many aspects of life and indeed, many professions. The nursing profession is not any different. However, I believe the importance of understanding the concept of culture in the nursing profession cannot be underestimated because nursing involves intensive interactions with people from various backgrounds. Moreover, the profession is care-driven and therefore, it ought to be in-tune with patient needs. Nonetheless, I believe nursing is a highly complex profession because it mainly involves taking care of patients from various backgrounds or cultures. From this understanding, I believe it is crucial for all nurses to understand the importance of appreciating the role which culture plays in understanding people’s actions (from a cultural point of view). Also, from this understanding, I believe it is crucial to understand why the concept of culture should be deeply entrenched in the nursing profession. There are several ways through which culture can be incorporated into the nursing practice (McGee 2003, p. 129).
For instance, I believe that reducing our self ethnocentrism enables us to appreciate that other cultures exist. It is also from this understanding that we get to appreciate the fact that our culture is not superior to any other. Cultural insensitivity has often been attributed to the fact that many of us fail to acknowledge that our cultural existence is also subject to the existence of other cultures. Therefore, there is no single culture that is superior or inferior to another. Once we inculcate a deep sense of self-evaluation within ourselves, we get to appreciate other people’s culture and therefore adopt practices that are appropriate for all cultures. This is one way that nurses can incorporate culture in the workplace (Brooker 2003).
Practicing to adopt a non-judgmental point of view is also another way that cultural tolerance can be adopted in the nursing workplace because a non-judgmental point of view would always provide the platform for people to interact and understand one another’s point of view. However, I believe the best way nurses and patients can understand one another, is through open lines of communication. A judgmental nurse would however close this line of communication because he or she is likely to develop a predetermined point of view even before the nurse-patient interaction starts. Adopting a non-judgmental point of view would therefore ensure nurses keep the lines of communication open, so that they can understand the unique circumstances facing their patients (Elliott 2007, p. 167).
Nurses can also adopt a tolerant attitude of cultural preferences where the cultural preference of every patient is accommodated in the nursing practice. This practice is always encouraged because cultural resistance in the nursing profession is normally caused by a high intolerance of cultural dynamics among nurses. Nonetheless, I believe that there are many issues that need to be tolerated when integrating the concept of cultural dynamism in the nursing workplace, including religion, cultural competence (among other factors). These factors are pivotal in the development of a culturally competent attitude in the nursing workplace. However, most importantly, the development of a tolerant attitude is bound to work for the general interest of nurses and patients alike. For instance, a female Muslim patient would not allow a male nurse to replace her abdominal dressing. A nurse or institution that adopts a tolerant attitude of cultural preferences would automatically ensure that there is a female nurse to attend to the Muslim patient (Koerner 1994).
The concept of cultural competence is therefore pivotal in the nursing profession and it is equally central to the development of an effective care plan. However, comprehensively, nurses should ensure that they strike a good balance between their culture, the institution’s culture, and the patients’ culture. I believe that this is the main point where cultural understanding in the nursing environment is most complex. However, a balanced strike among the three perspectives of culture would ensure an excellent provision of nursing care for all patients (Porche 2004, p. 136).
References
Brooker, C 2003, Nursing Adults: The Practice Of Caring, Elsevier Health Sciences, Sydney.
Day, L 2003, The Internal And External Worlds Of Children And Adolescents: Collaborative Therapeutic Care, Karnac Books, New York.
Doran, D 2010, Nursing Outcomes, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Michigan.
Elliott, D 2007, ACCCN’s Critical Care Nursing, Elsevier Australia, Sydney.
Koerner, J 1994, Implementing Differentiated Nursing Practice: Transformation By Design, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Michigan.
McGee, P 2003, Advanced Nursing Practice, Wiley-Blackwell, London.
Porche, D 2004, Public & Community Health Nursing Practice: A Population-Based Approach, SAGE, London.
Rogers-Clark, C 2005, Living With Illness: Psychosocial Challenges For Nursing, Elsevier, Sydney.
Simpson, K 2007, Perinatal Nursing, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, London.
Videbeck, S 2010, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, London.