NSG 3016 Week 5 Nursing Care Example Essay

NURSING CARE IN THAI CULTURE

This week’s assignment will cover five points that effect nursing care in Thai culture, assessment of cultural competency, and how cultural competency can positively affect the nursing care that is provided to patients from diverse cultures. It is imperative that we as healthcare practitioners provide cultural competent care to all our patients in order to provide effective and successful patient care. Cultural competency improves nurse patient relationships.

Cultural response to health and illness can affect the healthcare provided. Thai people follow a Buddhist lifestyle and therefore tend to withhold expressions of pain or suffering (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). It is important that we as practitioners are observant of not only verbal cues but also non-verbal cues in all patients from different cultures. This is especially important in patients with culture backgrounds such as Thais. Thais tend to not seek care until symptoms are severe same goes with pain therefore, it is imperative that we as practitioners rely more on non-verbal clues for these patients’ (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). Detecting non-verbal clues to assess pain or distress can help aid in successful outcomes in this culture and many others. Thais also tend to be passive when it comes to their healthcare needs therefore it is important to be proactive and direct when it comes to their care (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). Thais also tend to relate depression to psychosis therefore it is extremely important as a healthcare practitioner to recognize this early and educate the patient to the true meaning of both diseases (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). As practitioners’ it is important to practice effective communication techniques among different cultures as this can improve quality of care in various patient populations.

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Variations in drug metabolism can have an affect on nursing care in Thai culture. Due to smaller body size of Thais lower doses tend to result in fewer side effects and greater compliance for this culture (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). Thais are more similar to naturalist so in general terms less is more when it comes to pharmaceutical drugs. When advising a plan of care for this culture it is imperative to give as little dose as possible so the patient experiences minimal physical effects from the medication. Body size and structure in general can change the dosing a patient may receive. The larger a person is the greater amount of a specific type of medication may be needed in ordered to achieve the desired results. It is important as a practitioner we are always aware of these variations as it can greatly affect our patients’ outcomes and medical compliance.

Language barrier is also another area that could affect nursing care of a Thai patient. Not only does this affect communication among healthcare providers and Thai people but it also limits the quality of care these patients receive. Without proper communication patient satisfaction decreases along with poor medical compliance and outcomes. Language variances are a huge barrier to effective communication. English is taught in Thai schools however the proficiency is not very high (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). In order to overcome language barriers in foreign cultures it is important to be culturally competent and use resources that are readily available. Many hospitals and medical facilities have language landline phones that use an interpreter on three-way to communicate with patients of different cultures who speak little to no English. Miscommunication among nurse to patient’s can have detrimental affects on nursing care. Having a base knowledge of the culture along with language lines can enhance patient-nurse communication even if a language barrier is present. It is our job as practitioners to embrace diversity in this multicultural society we serve.

Lack of knowledge and education regarding healthcare and American culture can affect nursing care among the Thai culture. Most Thai cultured areas tend to be poor and less educated in general. Health promotion and wellness is limited in these countries therefore not much education and preventive care is performed for these patients. There passive nature makes it imperative for practitioners to be proactive in a Thai patient’s care. Practitioners should educate this culture regarding healthcare practices and care. Practitioners should also encourage this culture to complete an orientation program focusing on cultural differences (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008, NSG 3016 Week 5 Nursing Care Example Essay).

Culture awareness is in my opinion one of the biggest areas that can effect nursing care not only in Thai cultures but many other cultures as well. Self-awareness for culture differences is key to providing quality of care to a multicultural society. Being aware of one’s own opinions and ideas and letting go of all ethnocentric ways of thinking is what will make promote medical compliance and understanding among different cultures when providing quality care. Cultural competency promotes trust as well as good communication within a diverse population in healthcare (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). Being culturally competent allows for a complete holistic approach to healthcare as well as helps eliminate ethnocentrism, stereotyping, racism, and ethnic disparities (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). Practitioners can be proactive and take measures to make themselves cultural competent so they can provide excellent patient care to all individuals.

Living in such a multicultural society it is imperative that healthcare practitioners are able to provide culturally competent care to all patients. In order to effectively treat our patient population, it is important to address a person holistically which includes their culture values and beliefs. This variety is what makes everyone different as well as unique and gaining better understanding of this multicultural society can aid practitioners into successful patient outcomes. In order to improve transcultural healthcare, it is imperative we eliminate all ethnocentric ideas and thoughts. Education along with genuine care to better our patients’ quality of life is what should strive practitioners to at least maintain basic cultural competence. Upon completion of this class I have gained a better understanding of many different cultures especially in regards to healthcare practices and beliefs. I always strive as a healthcare provider to maintain respect to all my patients especially in regards to their specific culture. I know have a deeper and better understanding of a variety of different cultures from around the world. With this knowledge I will be able to better care for my patients that come from different heritage backgrounds than of my own. I feel my cultural competency has grown since the beginning of this class and I have a much better understanding of the importance of being cultural competent when providing care to my patients’. Assessing ones own cultural orientation and awareness can be beneficial in how well we treat our patients. “Self-awareness in cultural competence is defined as a deliberate and conscious cognitive and emotional process of getting to know yourself” (Winston & Eddins-Riley, 2006). Eliminating all ethnocentric ideas is imperative to provide good quality care to different cultures. I believe my cultural competency has greatly improved since completing this class. After re-taking the cultural competency self assessment test I immediately noticed the knowledge I have gained from completing this course.

Obtaining a better understanding and knowledge base in regards to different cultures helps practitioners provide more effective and better quality of care. I believe cultural competence should be required for all healthcare providers. Holistically treating patients’ leads to better patient outcomes. Including a patients’ culture in regards to their treatment plan and healthcare related issues is vital to their overall success. Therefore, health-care providers need to broaden their understanding of culture regarding medicine and how it relates to improving health (Napier, Ancarno, Butler, Calabrese, Chater, Chatterjee, Guesnet, 2014). Learning about all these different cultures has helped me as a provider to be able to provide better care for my multicultural patients. Having a broader knowledge base will allow me to gain the respect from individuals of different cultures and therefore allow me to provide better care to patients from all around the world. When patients feel respected they are more inclined to be compliant and cooperative in their own health as well as take into account the information and facts presented to them. Health promotion and disease prevention is extremely important so therefore it is important we are able to appropriately educate and care for patients from different cultures. Patient education is huge and without being able to properly educate patients of different cultures it is impossible to create change. Therefore, it is our job as healthcare providers to become culturally competent for our patients’ overall health success. Gaining the trust and respect in a multicultural society is important as a healthcare practitioner in order to enhance patients’ quality of care.

In conclusion, I believe it is crucial to understand the importance of health and culture as it is imperative for overall successful outcomes for patients. I can have a positive effect as a healthcare provider by being culturally competent and educated when providing care in a multicultural society. Becoming educated on different cultures can help eliminate the barrier in transcultural healthcare. As a nurse we provide care to many different people of all kinds of backgrounds and cultures. It is imperative we become well educated so we can promote change and wellness among different cultures. NSG 3016 Week 5 Nursing Care Example Essay.

References

Napier, A. D., Ancarno, C., Butler, B., Calabrese, J., Chater, A., Chatterjee, H., Guesnet, F., & (2014, November 01). Culture and health. Lancet, (9954), 1607, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com

Purnell, L D, Paulanka, B J (2008). Transcultural Health Care a Culturally Competent Approach, 3^rd Edition. Philadelphia, PA: F.A Davis Company. Retrieved from https://digitalbookshelf.southuniversity.edu/#/books /978080 3620735

Winston, G., & Eddins-Riley, E. (2006). Measuring cultural competence in a family nurse practitioner. Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health (JMCNH), 12(3), 5-5 1p. NSG 3016 Week 5 Nursing Care Example Essay