Cultural Competence and Patient Care Outcomes

2009 Words5 Pages

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Understanding Culture

3. Case Study/Demographics

4. The Diagnosis

5. The Procedure

6. Nurse/Patient barriers

7. Possible defects in the delivery of care

8. Ways to promote cultural awareness

9. The procedure revisited

10. Conclusion

Introduction

Working as a research nurse at the Ohio State University, I often encounter patients that

are from different cultures. Ohio State University is known for their advance research in

Leukemia. I had the pleasure of working on the Phase 1-Leukemia team for two years

and I recall one patient that would forever change the way I interact with patients. It was

at this moment in time, I learned how my own biases affected my patient care. In the ever

changing world, nurses need to understand culture awareness and cultural sensitivity in

order to become better care givers. All human beings have basic needs and desire but it is

how we perceive these needs and desires that are considered different. This paper will

provide insight in which a nurse found the way to navigate through a patient encounter to

provide the care that her patient so desperately needed and deserved at that moment and

time.

Understanding Culture

Understanding cultural differences is imperative in today’s society. It is estimated that a

nurse will have a fifty percent chance of taking care of a minority patient (Davidhizar-

Giger & Hannenpluf, 2005). Culture is learned patterns of behavior responses acquired

over a period of time and include our values, beliefs, norms, habits, art, and our life ways

that are accepted among a particular group (Polan & Tay...

... middle of paper ...

...tive

to others. In other words, we are becoming culturally competent. Learning to be

culturally competent will improve our patient outcomes. In the end, isn’t that what we

strive for?

References:

Davidhizar, R., Giger, J., & Hannenpluff, L. (2005). Your Continuing Education Topic 3

2005: Using the Giger-Davidhizare Transcultural Assessment Model (GDTAM) in

Providing Patient Care. Journal of Practical Nursing.56.1 (Spring 2006) 37-43.

Polan, E. & Taylor, D. (2011). Journey across the life span: Human development and

health promotion. (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.

Taylor, R. ( 1998). Check your Cultural Competence. Nursing Management 29.8 (Aug

1998) 30-2.

Transcultural Nursing: The Hispanic American Community (2012). Retrieved from

http://www. Culturediversity.org/hisp.htm.

More about Cultural Competence and Patient Care Outcomes

Open Document