Caring for patients with cultural differences in a hospital setting.

According to (Hinkle & Cheever, 2014, p. 97) Culturally competent care is defines “as effective, individualized care that demonstrates respect for the dignity, personal rights, preferences, beliefs, and practices of the person receiving care while acknowledging the biases of the caregiver and preventing these biases from interfering with the care provided”.
In caring for patients in the hospital setting today one must look at variety of patients from various background. Healthcare providers should be aware of patients’ culture, beliefs and attitude to provide quality care. The Office of Minority Health of the Federal Government has developed a set of 14 principles called the CLAS Standards (Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services), which are mainly directed at healthcare organization, and are mandated for all organizations receiving Federal funds. The focus is on the terms of linguistic services and efforts to provide information to patients in their own language through availability of brochures, interpreters, and other means. In this essay I would like to exam cultural considerations with emphasis on impaired verbal communication related to language barrier, because I feel that communication barrier can cause a reduction in healthcare quality and low patient satisfaction.

Overview

I have had the opportunity of caring for patient X.Y, a 76 year old Chinese native, Mandarin speaking male, whom came from china a year ago with his wife and was living with his son and grandchildren until his recent hospital visit. Mr. X. Y was admitted to the hospital for complaint of chest pain and shortness of breath. A CT pulmonary angiogram was performed, which revealed that patient X.Y was suffering from a pulmonary embolism.
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...tural needs of their patients.
In closing I would like to quote the Transcultural Nurse’s Prayer, by Dr. Lennininger, which briefly defines the meaning of transcultural nursing.

Works Cited

Fortier, JP Assuring Cultural Competent in health care. (1999). Retrieved from http://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/Assets/pdf/Check/Assuring_Cultural_Competence_in_Health_Care-1999.pdf

Doenges, Marilyn E, Moorhouse, Mary Frances, Murr, Alice. (2008). Nurse’s Pocket Guide. Philadelphia: F.A.Davis Company.

Hinkle, Janice L, Cheever, Kerry H. (2014). Brunner &Suddarth’s textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. Philadelphia: Wolters Kuwer/Lippincott Williams &Wilkins.

Kurzen, Corrine R. (2009). Contemporary Nursing. Philadelphia: Wolters Kuwer/Lippincott Williams &Wilkins.

Purnell, Larry D, Paulanka, Betty J. (1998). Transcultutal Health Care, A culturally Competent Approach.