Free Essay on Cultural Competences and Diversity in Healthcare

Cultural competence is a combination of three aspects, knowledge, belief, and behaviors (Nih.gov, 2015). In this regard, cultural competence presupposes that an individual has a certain cultural knowledge, he then beliefs in that particular culture and then his behavior is ultimately defined by those believes. According to Nursingworld.org (2015), these precise beliefs are a product of a persons identity, language and way of thinking, communication techniques, actions, customs, and beliefs and values. Additionally, the dogmas are as a result of the race, religion, geographical location, and the social groups to which an individual is part of. The values and beliefs influence the health as well as the healing, wellness, illness disease and the proper delivery of health services to a particular person (American College of Healthcare Executives, 2011).

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Cultural competence has a big effect on the response to health services of a person. The beliefs enable the patient to receive respectable and proper health services taking into consideration the cultural aspects. However, this aspect is very disadvantageous in cases of emergencies. In this regard, some of the beliefs prohibit the taking of some medical drugs. As a result, a patient might suffer due to the fact that his beliefs do not permit him/her to take certain drugs which are imperative for sustainable health. Further, cultural competence goes against the standard practices. In this case, most of them are against the universal norm of treatment mechanisms. As a result, the health provider is forced to make several changes in treating different patients due to their cultural competencies (American College of Healthcare Executives, 2011).

Diversity in relation to healthcare is the changing demographics that have invaded the health care programs. These demographics show immense differences in economic as well as cultural aspects of medical personnel and patients in the health care sector. Additionally, the long standing disparities in the different cultural backgrounds also form part of cultural diversity in health care provision. The diversity is not limited to the values, beliefs, and customs of the different races. They also include the size, religious affiliations, gender sexual orientation, occupational status, age and even the socio-economic diversity. However, the cultural diversity in healthcare has makes health providers take it as a priority. Specifically, this diversity hinders proper administration of medical care since the providers have to deal with the different adversities.

Polygamy refers to the marriage of more than one woman to a single man (Miller & Karkazis, 2013). These marriages largely affect the health of members of a certain community. In this regard, polygamy is prevalent in the short creek community of Utah and Arizona man (Miller & Karkazis, 2013). Polygamy has caused a lot of psychological diseases to the women in those marriages. As a result, psychiatric treatment has to be offered to those women regularly. In this case, their provision is a problem since most people in polygamous marriages live in the rural communities. Additionally, the women I those marriages do not realize that they have a problem in the minds. As a result, they do not seek medical attention. As a result they end up in psychological trauma (Yilmaz et al, 2015). Therefore, polygamy is a major threat to health care.

Personal influences can make us create judgments about others and influence decision making of an individual. This is however a negative factor since in the health care profession. Personality of the nurses is not and should not count in the taking care of patients (Eka, N. G. A., & Sommers, 2014).. However, personal influences cannot be avoided; but they can be controlled. They are inherent and their influence impacts negatively to the medical profession. As a result, patients will be taken care of in a very shoddy way as well as be ignored in extreme cases. Therefore, the consequences of personal influences as cultural competencies are very negative and unprofessional to the patients. As a result, the nurses should ensure that they get into the work place in a sober and relaxed mood. Any differences at home should not be brought to the workplace.

To question patients about their cultural practices is both good and bad depending on the point of view that one looks at the issue. Firstly, the inquiries made by the nurses are important in ensuring that the taboos that the patient considers as such are not ignored. Further, the inquiry of any cultural practices ensures that the beliefs and values of the particular client are respected. Besides, failure to respect their cultural values and belief can lead to repulsion and bad blood between the nurses and the patients. Therefore, the inquiry into the beliefs of the patients is not an intrusion of their privacy but a way of respecting his cultural beliefs and practices.

As qualified nurses, we should at all times prevent our own personal opinions and values from hindering the care we give to our patients. While getting into this profession, we swore to serve all the patients without favor discrimination. Therefore, we willingly subscribed to dividing our emotions from our profession. The professionalism that is in us will enable us to avoid any beliefs that may inhibit the proper discharge of our mandate. In Any case, the dedication that we have to serve and take care of the patients is greater than our own opinions and values.

When nurses act in a very unprofessional manner, they set a very bad example to the student nurses who are in the hospital to be mentored (Papastavrou, 2012). As interns, the student nurses follow the actions and professionalism of their seniors. As such, any act of incompetence that will be displayed by the seniors will impact negatively on the future profession of the student nurses. Additionally, it will destroy the nurses since they will transfer the improper conduct to the incoming ones and the cycle will set a very bad precedence in the nursing sector.

As a nurse, it is very important to conform to the NMC code of conduct on professionalism even when out in practice. This is due to the fact that by obeying the code, we get accustomed to the good conducts that the code encourages. We therefore need to follow that conduct to the latter so that when we get out to the workplace we maintain the highest standard of professionalism.

According to Shirley & Sanders (2013), befriending a patient can make a very huge difference in to their stay in hospital. In this regard, the patients will feel that they have a person who is concerned about their safety and welfare. Additionally, the patients will have the indication that they have a family. As a result, they will respond quickly to the medicines that they are given and end up healing quickly (Constantian, 2012). If the patient feels isolated, it is important that we employ proper communication strategies to help them to feel that they have a company and caring people in the hospital. However, as nurses we tend to prejudice people that we have never seen or even been able to meet. This is due to human weaknesses that are inherent in every human being. However, this impact negatively to the person since the first sight is not important to gauge an individual.

References

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