Cultural Approaches to Patient Teachings Research Paper

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Introduction

Every culture has its own unique set of values and ethics. For that reason, cultural approaches to teaching patients are important for the spread of health literacy, health promotion, self-care, and better preventative care (Jeffreys, 2015). Cultural competence is considered an essential part of nurse education, as it focuses on the need for nurses to possess culturally competent skills when dealing with diverse patients of different backgrounds. Having a cultural approach to patient teaching has been shown to be primarily beneficial because it allows the nurse to more effectively tend to the needs of the patient by way of an efficient and strategic integration of different aspects of the patient’s culture within the care process. Cultural competence is achieved when one engages in a constant process of learning about other cultures as well as one’s own: it is about becoming culturally aware and culturally wise—and through this development devising ways to interact with patients of different backgrounds so that they receive the best quality care they can possibly receive. This paper will present key information about the topic of cultural approaches to patient teaching, particularly on the Asians with cervical cancer population, and discuss how it relates to nursing health promotion via patient teaching.

Key Information

One definition of a cultural approach to teaching patients is that it “is oriented toward critical, reflective practice” and can help nurses to “develop knowledge about the role of nurses in reducing health inequalities and lead to a comprehensive ethical reflection about the social mandate of health care professionals” (Garneau & Pepin, 2015, p. 9). However, that is not the only way to define the cultural approach. Another is this: the key to understanding the cultural approach to teaching patients is to remember that culturally competent nurses do not impose their own personal cultural norms on the client but instead learn to adapt their knowledge, which can help the client make the right health decisions, in a way so that the knowledge is communicated in a manner consistent with the client’s own cultural understanding of health. Culturally competent nurses, in other words, must be aware of the fact that not every patient they treat is going to have the same background, beliefs or experiences that inform them in the decision making process.

This awareness of variances in cultures is the basis of the Transcultural model of nursing put forward by Maier-Lorentz and Leinenger (2008) in their seminal article on transcultural nursing. As Shen (2015) points out, the transcultural theory of nursing enables nurses to provide meaningful care within the context of the patient’s own cultural framework. This is important because it provides the patient with understanding that might otherwise be denied them as all patients perceive their choices through the lens of their own cultural experience. In other words, the parameters or meaning of quality care that may apply to one patient may not apply to another patient of a different culture, background or belief system. A nurse trained in transcultural nursing will have developed a sense of these differences and will be aware of indicators that can alert them to the right cultural approach to take. Or they can be mindful to ask questions that will prompt the appropriate responses in patients with respect to their particular cultural preferences and background.

The Hofstede model of cultural dimensions is another helpful resource when discussing the background and significance of cultural approaches to patient teachings. The Hofstede model has been applied in numerous disciplines: everything from business administration to tourism to nursing (Mazanec, Crotts, Gursov & Lu, 2015; Papadopoulos & Koulouglioti, 2018). It is important to consider the cultural dimensions in nursing for many reasons. One example of why knowing the cultural dimensions is important can be found in those situations in which robots may be used in medicine to treat a patient. Some patients of particular cultures may be less willing to work with robots in medicine than other cultures; thus, “with the increased use of humanoid robots in the healthcare system, it is imperative that nurses and other healthcare professionals explore and understand the different factors that can affect the use of robots with patients” (Papadopoulos & Koulouglioti, 2018, p. 653). However, there are many other reasons for why cultural approaches to teaching are important.

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Cultural competency is essential in today’s world. Dynamic changes in society in recent years due to immigration and globalization demand that attention be given to cultural competency. Awareness of how cultures interact and clash is necessary for advancing the field of nursing. Examining a specific target population can help to explain this in more detail.

Target Population

Asians with cervical cancer can serve as an appropriate example of a cultural approach to teaching patients can be accomplished. The Hofstede model of cultural dimensions can be useful in teaching the nurse, first and foremost, about how the Asian population is likely to view the decision making process when it comes to health. However, numerous researchers have shown that the Asian population itself consists of a variety of different subsets of populations, not all of whom will share the same cultural orientation. For example, Japanese Americans may differ from Chinese Americans in…

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…of different cultures. The nurse or doctor can become a true client advocate in this manner and work to improve the quality of care that the industry provides its diverse clientele. When nurses stop to consider the patient’s perspective instead of simply bulldozing along without even bothering to check with the patient to see if the recommended care treatment is in alignment with the patient’s belief system or cultural expectations, they do their clients a great service—and the patient will always be appreciative of this consideration. To enhance patient care and to develop patient-centered care, transcultural nursing and cultural competency in nursing are highly recommended.

Nurses and doctors have to be flexible and respectful of the viewpoints of others. Being rigid in this industry will not only be a barrier to providing quality and culturally competent care to patients, it will also prevent the patient from feeling that he or she is really part of the care process. Care providers who do not consider the patient’s perspective essentially box up the patient and disallow the patient from taking ownership in his or her own care. This goes against the grain of what it means to be a nurse, and that is why the cultural approach to teaching patients is essential: it gives the nurse the ability to get over the cultural obstacles and walls that may otherwise seem insurmountable. Whenever nurses struggle to communicate with a patient it can be primarily because they do not understand the patient’s perspectives or needs. Oftentimes the patient does not know how to communicate these needs or their perspective because they take both for granted—it is part of their cultural experience. The nurse must be mindful of this fact rather than assume that a surface, generalized reading of the patient is sufficient.

Conclusion

The cultural approach to teaching patients is essential in the world of nursing today. Immigration all over the world and globalization have led to more and more diverse cultures so that nurses, no matter where they are, have to be cognizant of the obstacles that can occur when they are trying to teach a patient who is of a different culture. The transcultural model of nursing can be helpful in providing the nurse with guidance and support and so too can the Hofstede model of cultural dimensions. These two can facilitate the nurse’s approach to teaching a population like the Asian population with regard to an issue like cervical cancer, which can have its own sensitivity issues that should be understood by a nurse before going ahead with a teaching plan. The nurse who….....

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