Describe a conceptual awareness of: culture, cultural diversity, culturally sensitive care, transcultural nursing, and multiculturalism in a Canadian context.

After completion of this course, culture, cultural diversity, culturally sensitive care, transcultural nursing and multiculturalism is all very important factors when providing nursing care throughout Canada. Culture is commonly understood, based on learned traditions and what people use to interpret their experiences (Srivastava, 2007). Cultural Diversity Culturally Sensitive care is understanding ones culture, about the dynamics with understanding differences in cultures, while also focusing on self awareness and insight to unfamiliar cultures (Srivastava, 2007). Transcultural Nursing was introduced by Madeleine Leininger who explains that transcultural nursing is an area of study that focuses on comparative human care, where focus is on the differences and similarities of the beliefs, values, lifestyles of cultures while providing congruent cultural care that benefits the health care provided to individuals (Srivastava, 2007). Multiculturalism is explained as condition that many cultures co-exist within a society, cultural diversity within a multi-ethnic society, ensuring tolerance and respect for cultural diversity (Srivastava, 2007). These definitions are all essential components while providing care to individuals. Canada is becoming such a culturally diverse society with many immigrants coming to Canada to start their new lives. In one community there could be many different cultures being portrayed and presuming everyone has the same culture would decrease the effectiveness of care being provided to these individuals. Nurses and health care professionals are required to obtain knowledge, skills and respectful attitudes while providing care to individuals that are from a different culture. Learning about ones culture, allowing individuals to incorporate their culture and not presuming ones culture will provide more successful healthcare outcomes. This often creates challenges to provide quality care and respected outcomes.

Overcoming Nursing Care Challenges in a Multicultural Health Care Setting

This article relates to this learning outcome by explaining some of the challenges nurses face while caring for individuals from different cultures. With Canada becoming such a multicultural society, nurses and healthcare providers have the possibility of facing many unfamiliar cultures or traditions, thus creating possible bias opinions as discussed throughout this article. This article also explains that immigrants that are new to Finland have poor health and less likely to access health care, often times becuase of biased opinions from healthcare professionals. This could even be applicable to immigrants new to Canada, there food choices, traditions, cultural beliefs, religion, language barriers or poor understanding to the health care systems. Atanga & Ayong (2017), explains that cultural diversity creates many challenges, along with lack of cultural sensitivity and understanding, language barriers requiring interpreters which can increase the stress levels for the patients and healthcare professions trying to access this service. Therefore having better understanding of culture, cultural diversity, cultural sensitivity and multicultural care can influence the outcomes of healthcare for new immigrants to Canada trying to access healthcare services.

Multicultural Nursing

This article written by Rittle (2015), is relevant to this learning outcome because there is explanation as to how important culturally competent care influences not only the diverse multicultural patient population but also the collaboration between health care workers. Throughout the article there was discussion explaining that providing culturally competent care to individuals from a different culture is a learned skill. When providing care to patients and when working with other members of the healthcare team there are techniques listed in this articles that assists working with a diverse multicultural society. These techniques are as listed; establishing training programs, inviting patients and professions to share their cultural traditions, creating a respectful work environment, collaborating with the patient and health care professional to share resources to better understand cultural beliefs and values (Rittle, 2015). Rittle (2015), also explains the importance of not using slang or jargon, recognizing nonverbal communication, and utilizing an interpreter when required. This are all techniques that could be utilizes when providing culturally sensitive care to culturally diverse population.

References

Atanga, J., & Ayong, Q. (2017). Overcoming Nursing Care Challenges in a Multicultural Healthcare Setting. Retrieved from https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/138148/Ayong_Quinta.pdf .pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.

Rittle, C. (2015). Multicultural Nursin. Workplace Health & Safety, 36(12). doi: DOI: 10.1177/2165079915590503.

Srivastava, R.H. (2007). The healthcare professional’s guide to clinical cultural competence. Toronto, ON: Elsevier Canada

Express progression of cultural competence learning as it applies to clinical nursing practice

Srivastava (2007), explains cultural competences as the ability of health care provider to interact with patient’s utilizing specific knowledge and skills. Leininger however, discusses the important of health care providers to develop comparative focus on expressions, values and a cultural groups way of life through respect to custom and practices (Leininger, 1991). As nurses, we are required to provide culturally competent based healthcare through respect by involving sensitive and meaningful ways. Culturally competent care can be applied to nursing practice by being culturally aware of patient backgrounds; effectively caring for individuals with diverse backgrounds; providing care that is free from stereotypes and assumptions; providing appropriate care and services in relation to the culture of the client (Srivastava, 2007). Nurses providing cultural competence includes understanding the cultural norms and traditions of a population and ensuring sensitivity to these individuals.

According to Hudecek (2002), explains that there are five elements to cultural competence which healthcare providers need to be aware of. They are as followed; evaluating cultural diversity, completing a self assessment of cultural capacity, being aware of the dynamics when cultures interact, having cultural knowledge and creating adaptations in the delivery of health care to benefit a specific culture (Hudecek, 2002). These are important elements for health care providers to be mindful of when providing care to different cultures. When being culturally competent does not mean knowing everything about every culture. However, it is acknowledging and respecting different cultures and being able to create effective health care outcomes.

A Concept Analysis of Cultural Competence

This article is relevant to this learning outcome by promoting consistency of the concept cultural competence. This article mentions that nurses who provide safe and quality health care to patients from different cultural backgrounds are providing cultural competence (Cai, 2016). Nurses that are providing cultural competence are also providing cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, cultural knowledge and cultural skill which all play a factor in cultural competence (Cai, 2016). When these factors are recognized into nursing care the ability to understand, interact and communicate with the patient improves their healthcare outcomes.

Patient Centeredness, Cultural Competence and Healthcare Quality

This article by Saha, Beach & Cooper (2008), provides relevant information regarding this learning outcome. This article focuses on cultural competence and patient centeredness as ways of improving patients healthcare delivery (Saha, Beach & Cooper, 2008). Throughout this article by Saha, Beach & Cooper (2008), explains how cultural competence became known and how culture and language barriers effect the quality of health care provided. This article also discusses Leininger and her influences on cultural competence and further explains how cultural competence is an individualized approach, how the patient views their illness and reaching a common understanding between the healthcare provider. Cultural competence focuses on the healthcare provider to view the patient as unique and ensuring holistic health approach, building therapeutic relationships, effective communication and gaining the knowledge and skills to understand the patient’s cultural views (Saha, Beach & Cooper, 2008). Saha, Beach & Cooper (2008), also explains how important it is for healthcare providers to acknowledging and exploring our own cultural influences.

References

Cai, D.-Y. (2016). A Concept Analysis of Cultural Competence. International Journal
of Nursing Sciences, 3(3), 268–273. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2016.08.002

Hudecek, N. (2002). Cultural Competence: Reflect elements of cultural diversity in
attitudes, policies and services. Inside case management. 9(9), 1-633

Leininger, M. (1991). The theory of culture care diversity and universality. In
      M.Leininger (Ed.), Culture care diversity and universality: A theory of nursing (pp.
5-72. New York: National League for Nursing.

Saha, S., Beach, M. C., & Cooper, L. A. (2008). Patient centeredness, cultural
      competence and healthcare quality. Journal of the National Medical Association,
100(11), 1275–1285. doi:10.1016/s0027-9684(15)31505-4

Srivastava, R.H. (2007). The healthcare professional’s guide to clinical cultural
competence. Toronto, ON: Elsevier Canada

Identify skills of effective communication approaches towards providing culturally sensitive care among clients and their families.

Communication is an important part of healthcare and successful outcomes. Through effective communication, nursing and other health care provider establish trust, obtain consent, assist with decision making, understanding of illnesses, completion of assessments and information gathering (Srivastava, 2007). When providing effective communication there is a decrease in misdiagnosis, the ability to obtain consent, effective healthcare teaching, satisfaction with healthcare outcomes, patient’s following through with healthcare services and treatments. To ensure culturally sensitive care, there is often a need to make accommodations to ensure understanding. There could be times when an interpreter may be required if there is a language barrier to ensure that information regarding treatment, healthcare outcomes and services are properly understood. When communication is culturally sensitive, as healthcare workers we are mindful during each interaction of non verbal communication, the use of touch and prevention of sterotype and judgemental ideas. Along with providing communication that is culturally sensitive is assessing personally cultural views and beliefs and gaining a better understanding of the patients culture and needs.

Culturally Sensitive Communication in Healthcare: A Concept Analysis

This article is relevant to this learning out come because culturally sensitive care is understanding one’s own culture and beliefs, values, attitudes and practices (Brooks, Manias & Bloomer, 2019). When understanding one’s own cultures, values and beliefs, this brings awareness of the patients cultural differences and includes being more open to their culture, more sensitive and adaptive to the patient culture. When there is a better understanding, collaborative strategies can be created between the patient, patient family and healthcare staff to include respectful and supportive interactions (Brooks, Manias & Bloomer, 2019). When culturally sensitive communication off occurs patients are provided with a beneficial experience will improve there health outcomes(Brooks, Manias & Bloomer, 2019). When healthcare workers are providing sensitive culturally care, care will be individualized and holistic, this will ensure cultural considerations are occurring and involving the patients culture throughout their care.

Cultural Competence in Clinician Communication

This article also provided relevant information towards this learning outcome. This article written by Kodjo (2009), explains that cultural competence is a learned skill. Cultural competence, is acknowledging and incorporating the importance of culture in healthcare through assessment, understanding dynamics that result from cultural differences, expanding cultural knowledge and adapting services to meet the individual’s cultural needs (Kodjo, 2009). As healthcare workers when interacting with patients, ensuring that each interaction is culturally sensitive and open to individuals culture, this prevents patients from being treated the same and ensure individualized patient care. Kodji (2009), explains that to be culturally competent, this involves empathy, curiosity of the patient culture, respect towards the patients culture, being aware of history and health beliefs or practices of a certain cultural group, while providing a foundation of understanding and lack of stereotyping behaviour. Providing culturally competent care within a multiculturalism society, such as Canada is an important aspect to ensure effective healthcare outcomes.

References

Brooks, L. A., Manias, E., & Bloomer, M. J. (2019). Culturally sensitive communication
in healthcare: A concept analysis. Collegian, 26(3), 383–391. doi:
10.1016/j.colegn.2018.09.007

Kodjo C. (2009). Cultural competence in clinician communication. Pediatrics in
review, 30(2), 57–64. doi:10.1542/pir.30-2-57

Srivastava, R. H. (2007). Guide to Clinical Cultural Competence. Toronto, ON: Mosby
Elsevier.