The Course Outcomes covered this week are below.

CO2: Communicate effectively with culturally diverse individuals, families, and organizations. (PO3)

CO4:  Perform a culturally competent nursing assessment. (PO7)

This week

• select and read one of the chapters of particular interest to you listed in Assignments under Readings;
• discuss what information you should obtain to develop and implement culturally appropriate plans of care for an individual of this group; and
• share a brief case study or exemplar as a way to share your formation.

Examples:

Childbearing: A young Hasidic mom just emigrated from Israel to the United States. She is at term and comes to your Mother/Baby Unit for delivery.

Children: Oman is 5 years old. His family members are refugees from Syria. At the local community center a routine blood sugar test indicated his results were very high. He now needs hospitalized for control.

Adult: Luca moved to the United States after earning her BSN in Manila, Philippines. She works three jobs so that she can send money home to her family. She needs a treatment for breast cancer, but taking time off from any of the jobs will create a hardship on her local and extended family at home.

Older Adult: KC is 72 years old and came to the United States many years ago from Ghana. He is divorced, his children do not live in the area, and you often see him at the senior citizen’s center where you volunteer. He has uncontrolled hypertension.

Mental Health: Arkady was born in the former Soviet Union. He has battled depression most of his adult life and has been hospitalized again in the mental health facility 30 miles from his family for a suicide attempt. Although he has health insurance, the benefits for his diagnosis are about to expire. Transcultural Perspectives Across Lifespan

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Transcultural Perspectives Across Lifespan

Introduction

 

The term “cultural competence” has been used to describe health professionals’ ability to understand and communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. It refers to the ability of a nurse, physician or other professional health-care provider (PHCP) to recognize and competently manage unanticipated or unique cultural differences in practice so as not to cause further harm or discomfort for patients or their families.

Sensitivity to cultural variations and complexities

Cultural sensitivity is a must. It’s the ability to recognize and understand the cultural differences between you and others, which can be learned by anyone willing to put in the effort.

It’s not a one-time thing; it’s a lifelong process. It means being able to adapt to others’ needs based on your own biases, or lack thereof. This means being aware of your own biases so that you can better understand what other cultures want from you (and vice versa).

Diversity of ethnic, socioeconomic, educational, and linguistic backgrounds of clients

Diversity in ethnic, socioeconomic, educational and linguistic backgrounds of clients is another important element in the diversity of our populations. There are many different cultural beliefs and practices that influence healthcare beliefs and practices. Cultural beliefs and practices can also influence the way healthcare is delivered; this may impact on how patients feel about their treatment or their experience with doctors or nurses (Bennett & Egelund 2003). A study by Hooper et al., examined this relationship between culture and health seeking behaviour in four different communities across Canada (2007). The researchers found that there was a significant difference between the two groups when it came to the reasons why people went for care compared to those who did not go for care at all – 75% of those who had used emergency departments indicated that they wanted help from doctors because they were sick while only 30% said they wanted help from family members/friends because they were sick!

Individual, family, and community resources to inform assessment, intervention planning and service delivery

As a practitioner, you are likely to encounter many different types of individuals and families throughout your career. Some may be able to provide insight into their own experiences and perspectives (e.g., an individual with disabilities); others may have limited resources available (e.g., a child without family support). In order to best meet the needs of these diverse populations, it is important for practitioners to understand how each group can be involved in service delivery planning at all levels: individual, family and community.

Individuals

• Individuals who use mental health services are often reluctant or unable to divulge information about themselves or others due to stigma associated with mental illness or substance abuse issues.* Individuals’ access points include healthcare providers who treat acute episodes; community agencies providing longer-term treatment options; social services programs offering counseling/mental health assistance within schools/youth centers etc..

Cultural competency in health-care practice

Cultural competency is the ability to work effectively with people from different cultures. It is a lifelong learning process that involves an understanding of a culture and its norms, values, beliefs and language.

The health care provider’s cultural competency can be classified into three areas:

• Knowledge – knowing about the history of medicine in your community or country; what are some common beliefs and practices within that community? How do these differ from your own?

• Skills – being able to work effectively with individuals who come from different backgrounds (e.g., understanding how family roles may differ between cultures); how does this affect your treatment decisions?

Many factors influence health status and access to services within particular cultures

• Cultural context: This includes the values and beliefs that are shared by people within a particular culture. For example, in some cultures it is expected that older adults should be cared for by their children or other family members. In others, older adults may be more likely to live alone because they do not have children at home.

• Social and economic factors: These include things like income levels and employment status among different groups of people within a community or country; these can impact how well an older person will be able to access services such as health care facilities or transportation services.

• Political factors: Political stability in a country can also affect how well its citizens’ health is served by public services (such as hospitals). If there is violence or war going on nearby then this could lead to poor access for some people who want better medical treatment but cannot afford it often times due to lack of insurance coverage etcetera…

Students will learn about the complex healthcare environment within various cultures.

As a student of social work, you will learn about the complex healthcare environment within various cultures. You will learn about the importance of cultural sensitivity in clinical practice and community practice.

Students will also be able to write papers that analyze different cultural perspectives on health issues such as depression or substance abuse.

Conclusion

We hope that you have been inspired to explore the many facets of international health-care and cross-cultural perspectives. If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, we recommend checking out our other resources on the topic.