Nonmaleficence In Health Care

Nonmalefence has been upheld in both the ethical and legal practice of health care. Using utilitarian logics, the benefits of procedure is balanced against the harm. If there are greater benefits, the act viewed as an ethical one. in fact, you have a duty to provide appropriate care to avoid further harm to the patient under what some legal texts call a due care standards.

Cultural safety is a concept that is integral to providing best care to patients in nursing practice. The CRNBC defines cultural safety as a process requiring RNs to reflect on their cultural identity, and develop their practice in a way that allows them to affirm the culture of their patients; cultural unsafety can be defined as any actions which demean, diminish, or disempower the cultural identity and well-being of people; this also addresses the dynamics of the power relationship between the Health Care Provider and the patient (p17). Although an environment of cultural safety is a standard that we are held to as nurses, this ideal is not always reached. In this paper I will discuss one such incidence, as well as some of the changes that will assist myself as a nurse, as well as others members of the healthcare team to create an environment of cultural safety.

Health in all cultures is an important aspect of life. A person’s cultural background, religion and/or beliefs, greatly influences a person’s health and their response to medical care (Spector, 2004). These diverse cultures guide decisions made in daily life; what food eaten, living arrangements made, medications taken and medical advice listened to. A nurse must be knowledgeable and respectful of these diverse cultures and understand their importance when providing care. This understanding helps to build a strong nurse/patient relationship, increasing patient compliance, which ensures positive outcomes are met. Patients who are satisfied

The first step to properly caring for a patient is acceptance. A nurse must accept the fact that not everyone is the same. Communities consist of many diverse ethnicities and spiritual practices. A nurse has to learn how to throw out all the judge mental thoughts of an individual and try to view the situation through the eyes of the patient. To be culturally competent in the professional practice of nursing, a health care worker must show respect. Health care workers cannot force a patient to go through with a procedure. The individual must respect the wishes of the patient to deny medical care whether it be because of spiritual reasons or just fear of the unknown. Most importantly, a health care worker must be culturally competent in order to avoid misdiagnosis of a patient. Judging a

Cultural safety and patient centred care are terms commonly used in the training of health care professionals. Each term focuses on best practice techniques while promoting a holistic manner of care for patients. As a concept, it enhances the professional and ethical role of health practitioners. Cultural safety and patient centred care are aspects which are crucial for health professionals who strive to deliver the highest level of quality care to all patients (Nguyen, 2008). This essay will analyse and demonstrate that cultural safety is patient centred care by using examples from practice. Through this it will discuss professional standards, science, health policies and health models.

“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

Asian cultures have a very strong family bond and this is very important to them and often surpasses that of an individual. The older family members are rarely questioned and therefore they are often the decision makers and will decide for themselves after being made to go to a hospital that they do not want treatment and all health care providers must respect this decision and be culturally competent in handling the situation. One must not make a patient or family feel bad due to their cultural decisions. We must look at our own beliefs as nurses in order to know what our beliefs are in order to understand those of our patients.

Many health care professionals think that if patients are just treated with respect, then cultural issues will be avoided. That statement is not the correct.

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.

After completing the “cultural competence checklist: personal reflection designed by T.D. Goode” for the first time, I was not surprised by my results. The results were a reflection of my personal understanding how culture impacts holistic care and my continuous need to improve my care. I have strived to become non-judgmental. I work to not let my personal beliefs and values influence my nursing care on decisions. When I practice this philosophy it provides better patient outcomes and promotes an improved understanding of cultural differences. This also enhances a safe and caring environment. “It is important for health care providers to recognize that care must be individualized and considerate of the cultural. Racial, and ethnic identity of the patients and their families” (Broome, 2006, p. 486) .There is much diversity in the beliefs and practices of the Indian culture and we should grant these individuals complete freedom to practice their personal cultural variations and the religion they choose.

In the common health and social care system, the workers have ethical guidelines that they have to follow. The common ethical considerations include the equality tenet. According to this tenet, all the patients in the healthcare facility have to be accorded treatment and care regardless of their faith. The patient is a patient regardless of the race and social affiliation. The other ethical consideration is the right that the patients have to emergency treatment regardless of the reservations that they have concerning the cause of the emergency or the

In the context of cultural competence, the health care providers and the relative services that delivered within the system play a critical role to meet the cultural and language requirements of consumers and their next of kin. They also have a responsibility to present the best available evidence in the context of medicine to assure that the patient could receive the appropriate treatment under certain circumstances based on their cultural needs to achieve the optimum outcome (Love & Waitoki, 2007; Dreachslin,

Many people express faith in particular ways. However, many studies show patients of all faiths tend to use their perception on how their personal culture and ritual affect their health. Although many religions may have differing visions on providing care, one thing remains the same; people of faith will heal quicker. Every person, regardless of their traditions, religious, or cultural backgrounds, wishes to have their care met with respect and dignity. There are many of cultures with variety beliefs on healing. These beliefs may state certain way of practices that may require being focused on to remain a person’s total health. Healthcare professionals must be culturally sensitive to these differences needs by valuing diverse and adding in

The forces of globalization, including more affordable travel are leading to increased cultural and ethnic diversity of populations in the Western Hemisphere. It estimated that non-European Americans currently make up a third of the US population and will become the majority by 2080 (Grant & Letzring, 2003). Naturally, nurses are for this reason encountering greater diversity in the patients they are responsible for treating. It is important to note that these groups might not have the same value system with respect to conventional Western medicine. The philosophy of paternalism has largely been discarded and as such greater emphasis on patient involvement, autonomy and consent have become central to nursing as a profession (Pozgar, 2013). It is the responsibility of nurses to ensure that patients are cared for in a manner that is respectful of their individual beliefs and cultures. One such population that is experiencing growth in the United States is those belonging to the Islamic faith or “Muslims”. Not only does this group have distinct cultural practices, they may also be expecting discrimination and stigma as a result of these practices that could prevent them from seeking out medical care (Wehbe-Alamah, 2008). In the following paper, some of these cultural practices and their relevance to nursing practice are discussed.

Culture is a very powerful influence and health care providers in general must be sensitive to it. The process of gaining depth of understanding of subject positions and cultures other than your own is the process of gaining various degrees of cultural competency. Delivering high quality care to Muslim patients involves having an awareness of the ramifications of the Islamic faith and Islamic beliefs. Nurses need to understand how spiritual and cultural values affect clinical practice. Nurses should be aware of the need for modesty, privacy, appropriate use of touch, dietary requirements, and use of medications. From an Islamic point of view, health is defined as a state of physical, psychological, social and spiritual wellbeing. It is honored as a blessing from God.