The Nurse as a cultural Being

In my nursing profession, I had the chance to see a scenario in which my colleague had lost sight of our patient’s cultural requirements. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that receiving blood is against God’s will. Therefore they reject blood transfusions, even if it is their blood. However, in this case, the nurse disregarded the patient’s religious convictions to save her life, which resulted in his instant firing.

A considerable gap exists between a healthcare practitioner and a Jehovah’s Witness patient. A tension arises for a nurse between the desire to respect patient autonomy and the requirement to deliver excellent medical care (Felsenstein, 2019). Furthermore, individual JWs are unlikely to make genuinely independent blood transfusions since the Jehovah’s Witness ruling body enforces a rigorous set of moral standards on its members. Drawing from the above, it is clear that, although adults are granted autonomy, problems nevertheless occur in emergencies, as in the case of my colleague and his patient. At the time, I thought the entire thing was ridiculous, but I have come to understand how important it is to respect patients’ cultural values, no matter how strange they may seem. For example, I realized that, although the state is interested in the protection of life, that interest is not absolute (Sharifi et al., 2019). Individuals have the freedom to govern their person, and one aspect of that autonomy is the “right to make health-related decisions, including the right to reject undesired medical treatment.”

Nurses can do a lot to offer culturally appropriate care to a diverse country. The first step in every societal problem is awareness (Sharifi et al., 2019). The need for culturally competent treatment should be shared with openness and optimism rather than with skepticism. Also, nurses should avoid making judgments about unfamiliar cultures. This may damage the nurse-patient relationship and decrease treatment acceptability. If uncertain, ask. Active listening is critical in the healthcare field, particularly when people of various races or cultures are engaged (Franco & O’Brien, 2018). It is vital that patients feel heard and acknowledged, especially when they’re vulnerable. After asking a patient a question, they should listen. You should stay calm and let the patient know it’s acceptable to take their time speaking with you.

References

Felsenstein, D. R. (2019). Providing Culturally Sensitive Nursing Care for Vulnerable Immigrant Populations. Creative Nursing, 25(2), 133–137. https://doi.org/10.1891/1078-4535.25.2.133

Franco, M. G., & O’Brien, K. M. (2018). Racial identity invalidation with multiracial individuals: An instrument development study. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 24(1), 112–125. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000170

Sharifi, N., Adib-Hajbaghery, M., & Najafi, M. (2019). Cultural competence in nursing: A concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 99, 103386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103386

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The Nurse as a cultural Being

Value: 100 points

Due: Create your initial post by Day 3, and reply to at least two of your classmates by Day 7.

Grading Category: Discussions

Initial Post

As advanced practice nurses and educators, we must remember that we are human; and at times, we can lose sight of the cultural needs of our patients and their families or of our students. Please share with the class an example of when you had or observed another healthcare provider having this experience. Identify the “gap” or “disconnect” you perceived was happening between you and the patient or family or between the healthcare provider and the patient or family. Discuss how you became aware of this gap or disconnect, your response at that time, and the impact of this scenario on how you now approach patient care in a more culturally sensitive manner as a result of this experience. Describe the process you have used to develop culturally competent skills to be a culturally competent nurse. Be sure to provide examples to support your statements and assertions.

Apply Week 1 readings and resources to your posts and responses and reference these readings according to APA style.

Week 1 readings

Readings

Required

Kersey-Matusiak, G. (2019). Delivering culturally competent nursing care: Working with diverse and vulnerable populations. (2nd ed.).
- Chapter 1: Defining Cultural Competence
Jeffreys, M. R., & Zoucha, R. (2018). Cultural Congruence in the Workplace, Health Care, and Academic Settings for Multiracial and Multiheritage Individuals. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 25(4), 113–126.
Sharifi N., Adib-Hajbaghery M., Najafi M. (2019). Cultural competence in nursing: A concept analysis. Int J Nurs Stud. 2019 Nov;99:103386. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103386. Epub 2019 Aug 2. PMID: 31404821.

Reply Posts

Reply to the posts of at least two of your classmates. In your reply posts, compare and contrast your cultural awareness experiences. When replying to two peers please review their experience and offer suggestions to enhance their experience. Use two references each in your response to your peers.

Please refer to the Grading Rubric for details on how this activity will be graded

The Nurse as a cultural Being