Cultural Awareness in Nursing Essay
Cultural Awareness in Nursing Essay
In clinical practice, patients from different cultural backgrounds normally show up for the management of acute illness and symptoms. Clinicians thus have the obligation of providing culturally sensitive care by respecting the cultural belief of each patient to promote holistic care and avoid confrontation (Ikeda et al., 2020). The purpose of this discussion is to illustrate the impact of culture on the management of hypertension and dyslipidemia in addition to implicit bias and possible solutions.
Management of Hypertension and Dyslipidemia
Racial disparities in the management of hypertension and dyslipidemia are greatly impacted by patients’ beliefs and attitudes towards health, precisely affecting engagement in health behaviors. For instance, African Americans have recorded the highest prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia in the United States, but still, display the highest likelihood of not seeing a doctor when they get sick. Culturally, they believe that one does not need to go to the hospital just because they feel unwell, instead, they should try to fight the disease at home first before seeking medical attention. Some do not believe entirely in the use of complementary medicine. Lastly, the management of hypertension and dyslipidemia involves lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise. However, some cultural beliefs promote unhealthy eating which makes it harder for the patient to adjust to a healthy diet, worsening their disease state.
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Taking Care of a Patient from a Different Cultural Background
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When caring for a patient from a different cultural background, clinicians are advised to exhibit culturally sensitive competencies in upholding the patients’ dignity and respecting their cultural beliefs (Long et al., 2017). For this to be possible, is necessary for the nurse to gain an understanding of where the patient is coming from and learn about their culture before initiating the care process. The nurse can then go ahead to build trust, overcome the language barrier, and educate the patient on best care practices that are effective and appropriate lifestyle modifications (Ikeda et al., 2020). The nurse must use polite language and explain to the patient the impact of what they believe on their health, to promote independent change of behavior.
Implicit Bias
Implicit bias is used to refer to the association outside conscious awareness which can promote negative evaluation of an individual based on irrelevant characteristics like gender or race. Studies show that biases can negatively influence decision-making in the diagnosis and treatment of patients (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). However, to overcome bias, several strategies can be adopted by clinicians to promote the provision of equitable quality care. For instance, the perception of clinicians should be changed first for them to be able to see patients as unique individuals rather than stereotyped members of a certain group. This will help promote the patient sense of being on the same team as their healthcare provider crucial in attaining patient satisfaction and positive outcome. Clinicians must also receive adequate education and training on the provision of care to a diverse community to promote the acquisition of competencies such as improved rapport, awareness, knowledge, attitude, and justice, crucial in the provision of equitable care.
References
FitzGerald, C., & Hurst, S. (2017). Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: a systematic review. BMC Medical Ethics, 18(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-017-0179-8
Ikeda, N., Nishi, N., Sugiyama, T., Noda, H., & Noda, M. (2020). Effective coverage of medical treatment for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia in Japan: An analysis of National Health and Nutrition Surveys 2003–2017. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 26(2), 106–114. https://doi.org/10.1177/1355819620949574
Long, E., Ponder, M., & Bernard, S. (2017). Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to hypertension and hyperlipidemia self-management among African-American men living in the southeastern United States. Patient Education and Counseling, 100(5), 1000–1006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2016.12.011
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For this assignment, you will review the latest evidence based guidelines as they pertain to the case below. Discussion of the case is based on the course objectives and weekly content, which emphasize the core learning objectives for an evidence-based primary care curriculum. Throughout your nurse practitioner program, case study discussions are used to promote the development of clinical reasoning through the use of ongoing assessments and diagnostic skills, and to develop patient care plans that are grounded in the latest clinical guidelines and evidence-based practice.
cultural awareness
• how do you think culture may affect management of hypertension and dyslipidemias?
• What would you need to do differently with a patient who is a different culture than you?
• Discuss “implicit bias†as it pertains to healthcare.
• How can we overcome implicit bias as healthcare providers?