[SOLVED] How To Be Culturally Responsive In Community Health Nursing

In the current world that is characterized by diverse cultures, it is important for community health nurses to be culturally sensitive. Nurses as the care providers are legally obligated to address, assess and incorporate culture into the treatment of patients. Cultural competence is essential in diminishing the disparities in health and enhancing the satisfaction of the patients in the health facilities across diverse communities. This article aims to provide an overview of the ways through which the community health nurses can improve their cultural competence including cultural assessment and application of cultural care.

Table of Contents

Interviewing with respect and curiosity during the cultural assessment

The first strategy of being culturally responsive in community health nursing is conducting cultural assessment. A cultural assessment enables the nurse to get pertinent data about the patient’s culture, including their values, beliefs, and behaviors. First, the nurse should choose a patient from a different cultural background and then approach the patient with the intention of having a friendly and non-prejudiced conversation. Being polite and asking questions fosters the patient’s confidence and makes him/her willing to share more of his/her health and cultural practices.

In the course of the interview, the nurse should not assume anything and should try to discover the patient’s culture. One should also understand that some cultural groups may not be willing to disclose their information especially in a health facility. In such situations, it is important to gain the patient’s trust and trust and to understand the patient’s limits.

Some of the questions that may be asked during the cultural assessment may be:

“What are some of the cultural health belief that you hold?”
“Is there any health practice that can be considered significant in the lives of you or your family members?”
“Do you have any preference for traditional medicines or treatment?”

Such questions will help the nurses to assess the patient’s health from the patient’s own view and ensure that they offer care that is culturally appropriate. Moreover, it is important to state that people’s perception of health and ways they approach the issue are not homogeneous within cultures.

Researching Cultural Norms and Health Beliefs Beyond the Interview

However, culturally responsive in community health nursing is not only the information that is given by the client during the interview. Nurses also need to go further in finding out the culture, values, and health beliefs that may influence the patient’s behaviors. This proactive approach enables the nurses to develop good working policies and to devise good care plans that are good for the patient’s culture.

This may involve the patient’s family’s cultural beliefs, religious practices, ethnic background, and their economic status. Nurses can use the cultural competence training, medical journals, databases, and community agencies to increase the knowledge about the culture and healthcare in the clients’ country.

Apart from the cultural practices, nurses should also consider the historical and social aspects that may affect health. For instance, some ethnic groups may have a negative perception towards the health care systems, this may be due to past experiences of discrimination or poor treatment by the health care providers. It is therefore important for nurses to appreciate these dynamics so as to develop trust and offer patient centered care.

The expansion of knowledge to what might be culturally sensitive in the community will allow the nurses to approach the care of the patients with appropriate respect. Common cultural considerations may include:

Dietary restrictions (e.g., halal, kosher, vegetarian)
Preferred gender of healthcare providers
Influence of religion on health care, such as fasting during a religious event
Language barriers and the need for interpreters

This study enables the nurses to be more effective in their service delivery by offering culturally sensitive care that is acceptable to the patients.

Providing Culturally Appropriate Care: Applying What You’ve Learned

When the cultural assessment is done and research data collected, the information is then used when caring for the patient. Cultural competent in community health nursing means that the nursing care that is offered to a patient is not only appropriate but also culturally sensitive.

In order to be able to give culturally sensitive care, it is necessary for the nurses to devise their strategy from the findings of the culture. This can involve making suggestions that are culturally appropriate and including traditional medicine where it is possible and safe to do so. For example, a nurse may suggest an acupuncture or herbal remedy to a patient of a culture that embraces such practices besides the conventional medicines.

It is important to note that cultural competence is not only a change of practice but also a shift of focus where the patient is the focus of the care. Patients and families should be encouraged to participate in decisions concerning their care and be given proper information regarding the treatment options, effects of the treatment, and the need to follow the set treatment plans in accordance to their cultural beliefs.

It is therefore clear that effective communication is a very important aspect in ensuring that culturally appropriate care is given. For instance, when communicating with the patient, a nurse should avoid complicated words and gestures and be very keen on gestures when the patient has no understanding of the language used. In such circumstances, it is crucial to have professional interpreters to enhance the level of communication and develop trust between the nurse and the patient.

Another of culturally competent care is the ability to be flexible and adaptable. For instance, if a patient has a cultural belief that hinders him/her from accepting a particular treatment, the nurse should be ready to consider other options and consult with other care givers to find a culturally acceptable way of handling the situation.

Sometimes, nurses may also require to support the patients, especially when their cultural requirements are not well addressed. It may include language issues, ensuring that culturally appropriate resources are accessible, or changing the policies of a hospital to reflect cultural differences.

Cultural sensitivity in community health nursing is essential for the provision of fair and quality care, and to eliminate the existing gaps in health care. Through cultural evaluation, research and the use of appropriate care measures, the nurses can be in a position to offer the best care to the culturally diverse patients. The argument for cultural competence for nurses is based on the fact that such individuals not only enhance the patient satisfaction and quality of the latter but also help in the development of the healthcare system.

Since we are in the community, it is crucial to advance and polish cultural abilities as CHNs. Regardless of the method of learning – from a classroom, a doctor’s office, or from personal experience, cultural competence is a lifelong journey. In this way, nurses can contribute to the development of the healthcare systems that are more culturally sensitive, accepting, and prepared to address the needs of the diverse population.

Culturally Responsive in Community Health Nursing Question

Cultural Assessment

Interview someone of a different culture. Plan to spend up to an hour or more for this interview. Write a cultural assessment report using the guide below. Be familiar with this guide before you start your interview. You may not necessarily be able to get all this information in your interview.

Introduce the cultural group selected/interview subject. (No personal names).
Explain typical male/female roles and language/communication patterns.
Identify beliefs that may affect health care.
Describe territoriality, personal space, and time orientation.
Describe the typical family constellation within the cultural group.
Discuss the role of the family in making health related decisions.
Explain the food and nutritional practices of the cultural group.
Identify any diseases to which the cultural group are highly susceptible.
Discuss any folk/traditional healing methods practiced within the cultural group.
Explore the interaction of the cultural group with the health care delivery system.
Identify risks and or difficulties that might need to be managed by health care personnel when providing care for persons in this cultural group.
Offer suggestions how nurses can effectively/appropriately manage & care for this client based on information above.
Paper must have at least two references.
Paper must be formatted correctly for references and citations.