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Acknowledging and respecting patients’ cultural beliefs and values is an integral part of providing holistic care and achieving optimum well-being. These values and beliefs integrate their background, religion, education, culture, age, and even gender. Sagar (2015) explains that providing care that is consistent with cultural values, beliefs, and practices is the ultimate goal of nursing, and understanding these beliefs and different cultural lifestyles will form the basis for providing specific cultural care. However, Gregory, Harrowing, Lee, Doolittle, and O’Sullivan (2010) suggest that if clinicians are not culturally competent, it may lead to situations where they develop stereotypes and incongruently misinterpret patients' actions wrongly, including their experiences of health and illness. Therefore, finding solutions to discrepancies between patient beliefs and personal values is a skill that requires reflection and strategy to achieve a safe cultural practice. This reflective writing will aim to identify how my values, beliefs, and behaviors may potentially influence or inhibit the provision of culturally safe nursing care to patients with different cultural values, and also explore areas that will require further personal development in order to practice safely.
Religion, as one of my personal beliefs, is a subject that is encountered on a daily basis because it is a specific faith that is established and has the benefit of empowering patients by connecting them to a community and thereby promoting a healthier lifestyle. According to Usher, Mills, and West (2013), people are shaped by their religious, spiritual, and cultural beliefs, and these beliefs influence the way they respond to critical situations such as illness and death. For instance, in a life-threatening situation, a Jehovah’s Witness patient may refuse a blood transfusion even if the consequence is death (Griffith, 2014). Therefore, to provide culturally safe care, the patient’s wish must be respected and accepted to accommodate their spiritual needs. On the other hand, my cultural heritage may impact the way I care for patients in a mental health setting. This is because, in my culture, there is a stigma attached to the mentally ill as they are often seen as a disgrace to the whole family. As a result, they are mostly treated differently from other patients. With this mentality, it poses a risk of interacting with patients as I will see less of them, and this might result in unsafe cultural practices. According to Mendes (2015), failure to provide culturally competent care due to lack of cultural awareness will significantly increase stress levels in patients, and this can result in inadequate care provided by nurses. Therefore, to be culturally sensitive and provide safe care, I need to be non-judgmental as this will improve awareness of patients’ cultural diversity and different religious beliefs, as well as be aware of my prejudices associated with mentally ill patients to avoid stereotyping thereby treating them with respect.
Committing to ongoing professional development through advanced education is another value that is important to me as a person. This is because, as a health professional, I must keep up-to-date with current information to provide best practice and clinical care with integrity, knowing that my knowledge and skills align with the nursing professional board. According to Dickerson (2010), continual learning in the nursing profession is essential because it has a great positive influence on patient care. This helps nurses think critically and improve their cultural awareness and communication skills, which may affect patient care outcomes. Moreover, as nurses are accountable for their actions, they must conform to the principles of acting honestly towards patients who rely on them and the multidisciplinary team. Personally, acquiring more knowledge to improve upon my personal and professional growth is essential to me as I will become more confident and act competently at all times, especially when dealing with culturally diverse patients. Therefore, providing culturally safe care that aligns with patients’ beliefs and values.
Excellent communication between patients and nurses is vital for providing competent nursing care. Effective communication is crucial as it helps to build trust and develop therapeutic relationships, resulting in more holistic care. However, Boykins and Carter (2012) noted that the biggest obstacles to effective communication are linguistic and cultural variations, and this may inhibit the nurses’ abilities to practice safely and competently. I understand that sometimes my accent could be a barrier to communicating effectively with patients. However, I’m continually improving the way I express myself in ways that are culturally appropriate to attain excellent patient care outcomes, as poor communication can lead to unfortunate consequences for patients.
Secondly, having compassion and selfless nature is integral to the nursing profession. These attributes create a positive and healing environment for the patient. Furthermore, Day (2014) explains that nurses deliver compassionate care if they see patients as individuals. As a naturally compassionate person, I will need to consciously remind myself not to cross professional boundaries with patients during care delivery, as this may potentially result in unsafe cultural practices.
In summary, recognition of my cultural identity is imperative to understanding and accepting different cultural perspectives. By being culturally sensitive and competent, I will deliver person-centered nursing care and practice in a compassionate, knowledgeable, professional, and non-judgmental manner that will result in an excellent positive outcome for patients and their families.
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