Culture and Diversity in Nursing: Cultural Assessment

Health can define in many different ways. Dr Roslyn Franklin defines health as “A multilayered social and ecological phenomenon created in the context of community life. (Dr. Franklin. R, C 2016) The dimensions of health include physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and social health. During the first week our reflections included what we believed being healthy meant. I listed enjoying being the ideal weight for my height, participating in regular exercise and eating the right foods. This is how I defined being healthy. Through our PHP, nutrition, physical activity, relationships and

My definition of health is the overall well-being of an individual including several factors. They include the present state of mind of an individual, the financial situation an individual may be in, the environment the individual may be exposed to, and the genetics of the person.

Health is defined as “A set of attributes that allow a person to fully engage in life. Having the

The nursing profession continues to walk towards excellence in cultural competent delivery of current healthcare needs. In the pursuit of excellence and the love of learning, there are always improvements to be made. Continuing education requirements are the backbone of building nurses into life long learners. Identifying personal areas of growth are an effective mode of continuing to add to existing nursing skills. In this paper, I will identify areas of improvement that I would like to make

The population of the United States is continually rising. The birth rate continues to rise, but more importantly, the number of foreign-born immigrants that relocated to the United States in 2003 was a staggering 33.5 million, and that number rises every year (Jarvis, 2008). With such a large immigrant population comes the need for medical professionals that are culturally competent. Being culturally competent means that the caregivers, “understand and attend to the total context of the individual’s situation, including awareness of immigration status, stress factors, other social factors, and cultural similarities and differences” (Jarvis, 2008, p.38). Because the United States is so diverse, it is a federal

With over 194 countries in the world, every country has own beliefs, language, customs and traditions which called culture. In other words, every place has own personality that form it or make it distinguished from others. As a result, people have to understand, adapt, respect and accept the different cultures which called culture competence. It defined that Cultural competence refers to the ability to coordinate or interact with other people who have different cultures (InFOMORY.com). In other words, a person who can deal with people who have different ethnicity or background, it is considered as especial trait because it will help him/her a lot where ever you are during dealing with people. In general, Culture competence

For the past sixteen years, nursing has been rated the most trusted profession in America (American Hospital Association, 2018). Everywhere one looks, there are t-shirts with slogans such as, “I’m a nurse, what’s your superpower?” (RaggedApparelNM, n.d.) and bumper stickers that say, “messy bun & saving lives hun” (Harleystreasure, n.d.). Nursing is clearly a celebrated and depended upon career, with some even going so far as to say, “nurses are the heart and soul of the healthcare system” (Weinstein, n.d.).

My background has subjected me to many different cultures and I contribute that to my sense of being more culturally competent than others. Culturally competence is a journey that requires the nurse to let go of personal assumptions about another person to be able to provide the best care possible for the patient. It is the ability to attain the attitudes, knowledge and skills necessary to be able deliver quality care to everyone from diverse populations (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2009). It is the belief that “every individual and group is entitled fair and equal rights and participation (Douglas et al., 2011)” in health care.

Of all the countries on the planet, nowhere is the vast array of world cultures more evident than in the United States. For most people, their ancestors came to this country in search of opportunity and a better life for their families. Fueled by motivators such as famine and dictatorship, emigrating to America meant saying goodbye to the only life they had ever known. Adjusting to a new setting and the changes that come with it is hard, especially when the new setting is a melting pot of unfamiliar customs. However, a change in location, regardless of the distance traveled, generally does not transform someone into a new person. Each of us is born and raised within a culture most likely reflecting the beliefs of our parents and other family members. As our first teachers, our parents are responsible for influencing the way in which we see the world and our place within it. As the only way of life ever known, these cultural beliefs often determine the way we view factors such as religion, nutrition, and even healthcare. As healthcare professionals, nurses today are faced with the responsibility of providing not only the safest and highest quality of care possible, but also ensuring the care provided is culturally acceptable and in sync with an individual 's health beliefs.

Diversity is exhibited in many ways, including a multiplicity of upbringing, dress, thought, lifestyle, values, food preferences, family relationships, and in gender, ethnicity, and age. These factors exist throughout the gamut of health care patients and the interactions designed with the nurses who care for them. Diversity in healthcare refers to the cultural setting in how the patient lives and in some measure defining their connection to healing, health, and their own role in the nurse to patient relationship (University of Phoenix, 2012).

Currently, we all live amongst an extreme diverse population. According to National public radio also known as NPR, America's diversity remains on the rise, with all racial and ethnic minorities growing faster than whites. This increase in a diverse population plays a big role in healthcare professionals because there will come a time where we are confronted with people from different walks of life’s beliefs and cultures in the health field. Therefore, it is crucial to learn how to become cultural sensitive to obtain full cultural competence. According to Red Shoe Movement, cultural sensitivity is being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist without assigning them a value. By becoming culturally sensitive you are able to acknowledging the difference in cultures mean while having a high level of respect. According to the text book Cultural competence is best defined as “a combination of culturally congruent behaviors, practice attitudes, and policies that allow nurses to work effectively in cross-cultural situations” (Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, J., 2015, p.74.) Cultural competence is the key component to becoming a successful nurse. A nurse who is cultural competent views each person as unique and can assist any patient to the best of her or his ability no matter the circumstances. . A cultural competent health care system can health improve health outcomes and limit health disparities.

me healthcare facilities offer continuing education classes or course work that is required to maintain certification of various health care related courses yet these are often limited to courses that are required to safely provide patient care. The use of time to further scholarship and knowledge in the clinical healthcare setting is at a premium. The average nurse spends a variable amount of time at the bedside preforming varied nursing tasks from passing medications, hygiene, ambulation, feeding, and educating a patient. Zimilich 2014. Yet if patient is educated about disease processes and encouraged to preform self-care patient satisfaction improves and the overall length of stay or need for re-admittance in a healthcare facility decreases (Murdock2013 nursing). Often healthcare facilities have a physical library available to staff and some now offer and internet library which offers the ability to research online through varied search engines.

It was a great pleasure to be one of your classmates for this term. Hopefully, we can meet again in the future classes. We had a great experience by working together in the group project. I have learned a lot from you and other group members. As you discussed your learning experience from what you have learned from the class, I could not be silent. You had a great instructor, Prof. Anderson. When we are looking at the global health agenda, it could be challenged because of the multiculturalism and diversity in the practices. These issues can constitute a problem that may affect the health care, many nurses really not understand or accept the existence of different types of culture. “Cultural differences can also create conflicts and misunderstanding

My southern heritage has directly influenced the person I am today. I grew up in South Louisiana and I have lived there all 25 years of my life. My childhood was not easy, but I think those tough situations prepared me for life, and taught me the value of family. I attended a private, Christian school and I am so appreciative of my parent’s sacrifices that allowed me to receive that education. I would describe myself as a kind, hardworking individual who respects, cares for, and values others. I believe these attributes are a genuine reflection of my upbringing. My Christian faith is what motivates me each day and it is also what has inspired me to help others through a career in nursing.

My definition of health is the ability to be able to balance the physical and mental aspects of one’s life by being able to adapt to new environments and situations. In other words, health is much more than being free from ailments and sickness, but it is a way of life. Over the years, this description has shape shifted in correlation to my surroundings. I will go into deeper detail later on how I derived to my present definition, but I will start by introducing the one that I grew up to know.