Mrs. Jones, a widow, is no longer able to live independently and is requiring more and more help with her self-care. Her daughter, Susie, who is married with three school-aged children, agrees to let her mother move in with her. Susie is concerned with balancing the demands of her career and the needs of her family, especially now that her elderly and chronically ill mother will need assistance. She is also unsure about how she feels with the reversal of roles, having to now be the primary caregiver of her mother. How can the nurse, caring for this family, assist with the changes they are about to undergo? How can both the family structural theory and the family developmental theory be applied to this scenario? How can health education enhance health promotion for this family? How could you use the family structural theory to determine if a family is dysfunctional or not? Provide evidence to support your answer.

 

Cultural Competence in Nursing

Cultural competence in nursing characterizes the ability to acknowledge and engage with patients from diverse cultures. A nurse can use various methods to gather cultural information from patients. The first method is using cultural assessment tools. These tools are crucial in assisting nurses to methodically collect data about the cultural background and preferences of a patient. Cultural assessment tools are also vital in eliminating communication gaps between nurses and patients from diverse cultural backgrounds (Davison et al., 2021). The second method is asking patients about their culture. This provides an opportunity for patients to freely convey their cultural beliefs, perspectives, and values without fearing judgment. The third method is observation. Nurses can observe non-verbal cues in patients such as facial expression and body language to understand patient’s cultural practices and beliefs. The other method is active listening, which involves conscientious listening to patients to understand their cultural backdrop and needs.

Cultural competence relates to improved patient outcomes by emphasizing the need for nurses to be conscious of and responsive to the cultural backgrounds and perspectives of a patient. Cultural competence also improves effective communication between nurses and patients which enables nurses to gather accurate information. It also promotes a free environment where patients and nurses can engage in therapeutic discussions, ask questions, address misunderstandings, and build trust (Brottman et al., 2020). This trust relationship is essential in ensuring quality care and better patient outcomes.

A nurse can demonstrate cultural competency in nursing practice in various ways including avoiding judging the patient based on cultural or religious beliefs, avoiding disrespecting the patient cultural background, and motivating patients to engage in what works for them (Brottman et al., 2020). Nurses can also demonstrate cultural competency by emphasizing patents, effective patient engagement, and actively listening to patients.

 

 

References

Brottman, M. R., Char, D. M., Hattori, R. A., Heeb, R., & Taff, S. D. (2020). Toward cultural competency in health care: a scoping review of the diversity and inclusion education literature. Academic Medicine, 95(5), 803-813. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000002995

Davison, K., Queen, R., Lau, F., & Antonio, M. (2021). Culturally competent gender, sex, and sexual orientation information practices and electronic health records: a rapid review. JMIR medical informatics, 9(2), e25467. Doi: 10.2196/25467