Applying Best Practices To Designing Patient Education : Article Analysis

“Health is influenced by culture and beliefs” (NRS-429V, 2011, p. 1). In order for the nurse to properly care for the patient, she must know and understand the patient’s culture. “Cultural care is a comprehensive model that includes the assessment of a client’s cultural needs, beliefs, and health care practices” (NRS-429V, 2011, p. 1). It is not enough to just know where the patient lives or where he came from. The nurse must embrace the concept of cultural competence and cultural awareness. This requires not only the awareness of the cultural beliefs and values of their patients, but also

Cultural competency aids in closing the “disparities gap” in health care. ("OMH," 2012, para. 2) In doing so, health professionals and their clients are better able to discuss concerns without cultural differences getting in the way of effective communication and problem solving. Being respectful of and sensitive to the client’s health beliefs, culture, values, and diverse needs can bring positive outcomes within treatment and patient care. After all, is it not the main job of the health care provider to ensure patient trust? Open forms of communication when dealing with client issues can only be provided if the patient is comfortable with his provider and believes his

There is a clear evidence that links Clinician-patient communication to patient satisfaction, treatment adherence and health outcomes. The understanding and the appreciation of cultural differences highly influence the communication and the plan of treatment (6, 7). Failure of physicians in understanding sociocultural differences between themselves and their patients might results in lower quality of health care (8).

Adapting to different cultural beliefs and practices requires flexibility and a respect for others view points. Cultural competence means to really listen to the patient, to find out and learn about the patient's beliefs of health and illness. To provide culturally appropriate care we need to know and to understand culturally influenced health behaviors. However, becoming culturally competent is a much more daunting task. Culture (and ethnicity) often influences a patient’s perceptions of health and illness. Therefore, if healthcare providers appear insensitive to cultural diversity, their actions may negatively affect the quality of the healthcare that they provide.

Culture is a very important aspect for health care professionals to examine when interacting with their clients. By having an understanding of different cultural practices, a clinician can more effectively treat a patient. Kagawa-Singer, M. & Kassim-Lakha, S. (2003) theorizes that patients resist lifestyle changes, and culture forms lifestyle. Therefore, if physicians attend to the influence of culture on health behavior, outcomes of medical care might well be improved.

Showing support and respect for cultural health beliefs creates a better interpersonal relationship between patient and physician. When implementing a wellness plan for the patient to follow the physician should take into consideration the beliefs of the patient. Health care providers should seek and obtain knowledge of their patient’s diverse cultures. Obtaining the knowledge of other cultures can be an valuable skill.

Throughout this paper I will be referencing the Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Assessment Model. Communication, space, social organizations, time, environmental control, and biological variations are the six cultural dimensions of the model. Acknowledging the pertinence and utilizing the principles of a tool such as this is important when performing an assessment on your patient because of the significant effect culture has on the patient themselves and the health care plan. To quote the ANA Code of Ethics, it is our duty as nurses to, “practice with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual.” (American Nurses Association, 2015)

Culturally competent cares in the medical field can make a huge difference in the satisfaction and the healing of patients who are guests in the facilities that we will be at. In central Minnesota we have the privilege of having many different cultures in a small area. With many people immigrating here from their homeland it is important, as health care professionals, to have an understanding of the many different beliefs and traditions that we may come across in our personal and professional lives.

When clinically assessing patients in care settings, it is paramount for health professionals to elicit pertinent information that could be crucial for delivery of care. This is particularly important in the United States because the increasing diversity in racial and ethnic composition of the population has presented cultural challenges that care givers must navigate to provide culturally competent service. Cultural competence during delivery of care requires sensitivity to the cultural, social, and linguistic needs of patients (Betancourt, Green, Carrillo, 2002). As a consequence, care providers need cultural assessment tools that will enable them

According to the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Public Statement on Cultural Competence in Evaluation, focusing on cultural sensitive enhance the quality of care. AEA mentioned that “Culturally significant factors encompass, but are not limited to, race/ethnicity, religion, spirituality, social class, caste, language, lineage, disability, sexual orientation, age, gender, geographic region, and socioeconomic circumstances” (American Evaluation Association (AEA), 2011); thus, concerning to difference in cultural is a significant aspect which all health care providers should put the first priorities. Therefore, focusing on cultural aspect strategy is the best fit with the essential practices for cultural competence acknowledged by the AEA.

Out of the five component of culturally proficient practice I think that cultural awareness is the most important one. It is the starting point upon which all others are built upon. One must make a thorough evaluation of their selves. They must be abreast of their own beliefs, values and cultural disposition. If one does not know who they really are, how can they define someone else. They need to be cognizant of others cultural beliefs and health practice. No one should think that their beliefs and practices supersedes all others. If a provider tries forcing his beliefs on others with different beliefs this will create a situation for ineffective health care. This can create more stress and distress along with distrust. The goal to heal

According to the health policy institute(2004) one of the positive effects of being culturally competent is improving health outcomes, quality

In any case, providing competent care to a patient of a different culture must first start with an understanding of the culture itself (Potter & Perry, 2011). Culture is

Throughout this paper I will be pulling information from the Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Assessment Model. It is pertinent for health care workers to be familiar with this model because of the growing affects that culture has on a patient’s view of disease prevention and health restoration. This model focuses on six cultural phenomena: communication, time, space, social organization, environmental control, and biological variations. It is important for nurses to utilize this tool while performing assessments on patients because of the substantial effects that each one has on a patient’s perspective. Every person is unique and knowing that no one perspective is universal will aid the nurse in treating each patient with culturally competent care.

When a provider tries being direct, the patient because of their cultural background may perceive this as confrontational. This is a huge issue when dealing with patients from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The communication barrier can dramatically affect how healthcare is handled between the provider and the patient. Within other cultures a lack of communication can lead to important information pertaining to their care being omitted, an absence of trust from the patient to the provider as well as a lack of follow through on treatment plans (Betancourt, 2003, p. 297). Healthcare providers need to adjust their approach with each and every patient, and be flexible enough change the treatment plans based on the patient’s cultural background. How trust can degrade with a lack of communication was a question that I got correct. Identifying the ones I answered correct and incorrect lead me to learn some things about