Case Study Example on the Ethical Role of Nurses in Bridging Cultural Gaps

Nurses are among the health professionals associated with international service experiences. Practical nursing care is associated with continuing reflection and the self-awareness associated with ethical practice and patient safety (Doutrich et al., 2014). A nurse must also take into consideration the patient’s cultural background, beliefs, and practices as they influence their attitude toward healthcare (Rittle, 2015). A case study involving Carlos and his wife Maria put the nurse in charge in a dilemma. Carlos V. is 38 years old and his wife Maria is 26 years old. They are from Guatemala and have lived in the US for three years. She is pregnant and her RBC count is very low. The physician has recommended a transfusion of 4.5 pints of blood. Carlos understands more English and is the one who receives all the medical information for the patient. However, he refuses the blood transfusion for cultural reasons. Though is the patient and the one in need of medical attention, he does not give her a choice to speak or decide. Maria agrees with his decision with a silent nods. The nurse in charge, Gabriel, disagrees with the choice and has to convince Carlos that his wife needs the blood transfusion for her safety and that of their unborn child.

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To achieve her goal of convincing Carlos to allow Maria to receive the transfusion, Gabriel involves the help of a fellow nurse, Luna, who is of Latin descent and can relate with Carlos on a cultural level. Luna speaks with Carlos who tells her that in their culture, blood transfusion is not allowed to preserve the purity of an individual’s blood. Luna explains to Carlos that Maria is at great risk due to her low RBC count and this could endanger her life and that of their unborn child. She convinces him to allow for a blood transfusion and he reluctantly concedes when Luna and Gabriel arrange for Maria’s two sisters who live with them to be the donors. Maria then gets the much-needed blood transfusion.

Case Study Questions:

Describe the ethical issue in the case study.

The ethical issues in the case study are the cultural belief of not allowing for a blood transfusion even when the patient’s life depends on it to preserve their blood’s purity and the issue of male authority over a woman’s right to be heard.

What are the specific ethical principles in the scenario the nurse must use? Explain your rationale.

The ethical principles that a nurse can use in this scenario are having respect for the patient’s cultural setup, ensuring social justice for all patients while executing global health nursing practices, and ensuring beneficence in all areas (Doutrich et al., 2014). A nurse ought to always put the patient’s cultural background into consideration when offering treatment as the cultural beliefs of a person heavily influence their attitude towards health care; in this case, Gabriel should be sensitive to the cultural beliefs holding Carlos back from allowing the transfusion. She should acknowledge them and find a solution that puts those beliefs into consideration. It is also important to ensure social justice by eliminating any form of discrimination and ensuring that every patient’s voice is heard; in this case, Maria should be given a chance to voice her concerns on how the treatment should proceed. She should play a part in the decision-making process.

How can nurses prevent ethical issues from affecting the patient/nurse relationship? Explain.

Nurses can prevent ethical issues from distressing the patient/nurse relationship by ensuring the protection of patients’ rights, respecting their cultural beliefs and practices, and practicing autonomy.

How do ethical practices affect the role of the nurse in global health issues?

Ethical practices affect the role of nurses in global health issues in various ways. Nurses help promote health policies that focus on the prevention of health-related discrimination and inequalities by ensuring equity among patients. It is also their role and responsibility to ensure awareness of self and others and build trust as a foundation for interactions with patients. In addition, they help promote affordable, acceptable, and culturally suitable health care to patients from different cultural backgrounds. They also actively bridge the gap in the way health care is offered to patients from different cultures by exploring new methods of offering cultural care to various multicultural groups.

In an organizational or workplace setting, what supportive resources are available to the nurse for ethical practice in global health issues?

In any workplace or organization, the helpful resources to the nurses for moral practice in global health include registering them with professional associations such as the American Nurses Association (ANA), the International Council of Nurses, and the International Commission on Occupational Health Nurses (ICOH) to help them keep pace with the patient’s healthcare needs. Also, ensure the availability of the ANA code of ethics to guide their practices, have an ethical council at the workplace that informs on their behavior and offers guidance where necessary, and ensure accessibility to books, crucial websites, and other reading materials to ease their gathering of new knowledge and facilitate the smooth running of their work. Another essential resource is being a member of the National League for Nursing (NLN) to help with the integration of technological advances into health care.

References

Doutrich, D., Dekker, L., Spuck, J., & Hoeksel, R. (2014). Identity, ethics, and cultural safety: Strategies for change. Whitireia Nursing and Health Journal, 21 (2014), 15-21.

Rittle, C. (2015). Multicultural Nursing. Workplace Health & Safety, 63(12), 532-538. https://doi.org/10.1177/2165079915590503