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Cultural Competency and Health Literacy essay
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As for health professionals, especially nurses, the main duty of the job is to provide health education to the community and need to ensure the clients understand health instruction and information, thus, health literacy plays a pragmatic role in health care. In addition, nurses need to provide health service and care to the community which included different age groups, gender and cultural or ethnic groups, therefore, nurses need to be culturally appropriate and also need to understand The Treaty of Waitangi to ensure it is cultural safe for the society. Moreover, it is important to understand how should nurses related their own action and their health philosophy, as a result, can help nurses to identify their role. Hence, it is crucial to …show more content…
However, health literacy is more than just read and write; it is the ability to understand and able to use health information to make choices about their health (Benyon, 2014). Low health literacy can have detrimental effect on the health of the client because it may cause misunderstand of the medical label or health information. According to McMurray & Clendon (2015), health literacy divided into three different levels which are functional, interactive/communicative and critical health literacy. As for functional levels, it is the most general and fundamental level for the general public because individuals need to receive and understand the information of health such as risk of health decision, consent forms, health instruction or medicine labels. (McMurray & Clendo , 2015) Turning to the next level, interactive/communicative health literacy, mainly involved personal skills to spread health knowledge to the community, and also , people are able to influence social norm and help others individuals to develop their personal health capacity. Because of this, understanding of how organization work and resounding communication skill which can help to support others and knowing how to get different health services other individuals need (McMurray & Clendo , 2015). The third level is critical health literacy, mainly divided to …show more content…
Therefore, providing culturally appropriate services for people has significant role for health professional; the main reasons of this is culturally appropriate services are linked inextricably with the health of the clients. According to Oda & Rameka (2012), in 1980s, Maori were experience racial discrimination and that is linked to higher rate of illness on Maori, such as mental illness, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, mortality, and health-risk behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol consumption. This is the results of unfair health service. During to the research (Oda & Rameka, 2012), people are more attempt not to see the doctor when they are experiencing discrimination and it makes their mortality higher than other non- Maori. Another factor could be Maori are not unable to access the health information and there was poor health literacy in that era and they were not able to understand different disease and lack of health education of living with a healthy lifestyle (Oda & Rameka, 2012). A classic example can be seen in the consumption of tobacco and alcohol, at the era, people did not know the repercussion of tobacco and alcohol use, but if they were able to access the information they would understand the
Through showing the different definitions of health, the authors explain how those different understandings affect patterns of behavior on health depend on different cultures. In addition, an analysis of the models of health demonstrates even western medical approaches to health have different cognitions, same as the Indigenous health beliefs. The most remarkable aspect is a balance, a corresponding core element in most cultures which is an important consideration in Indigenous health as well. From an Indigenous perspective, health is considered as being linked, and keeping the connection is a priority to preserve their health. Consequently, health is a very much culturally determined. Health practitioners should anticipate and respect the cultural differences when they encounter a patient from various cultures. In particular, this article is good to understand why the Indigenous health beliefs are not that different than western medicine views using appropriate examples and comparative composition, even though the implementation the authors indicated is a bit abstract, not
Thank you for taking time to read my letter. As a nursing student of University of Technology Sydney, I studied contemporary indigenous subject this semester. In this letter I want to illustrate 3 main social determinants of health that impact indigenous Australian health which I found and analysed during my recently study. And also offer some suggestion that could help the government improve aboriginal Australian mental health conditions in the future.
Conaty-Buck, S. (2009). Unblocking barriers: Clearing the channel to improve communication between practitioners and patients with low health literacy. (Order No. 3364864, University of Virginia). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 121. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/docview/305011452?accountid=14694. (305011452).
Communication involves the exchange of information between two or more people. Whether verbal or nonverbal, communication serves as the bridge that allows people to share ideas and thoughts. Clinical professionals converse with patients, relatives, and other professionals daily. Conversely, despite having multiple encounters with patients every day, physicians fail to enact the necessary communication and interpersonal skills to effectively listen, instill confidence, and promote following medical advice in patients.
Introduction The information and skills that are required to meet the complex demands of today’s society with regard to sustaining individuals health is greater than ever (Van den Broucke, 2014), where people are required to participate in more complicated preventative care, self-care regimes, understand more complex health information, and navigate more complex health system (Egbert & Nanna, 2009). As the Action areas of the Ottawa Charter for health promotion continues to provide relevant and useful framework for promoting health globally (Laverack, 2007), navigating through healthcare system brings with it a significant literacy, educational and promotional approaches to addressing health issues for all forms of care (Egbert & Nanna, 2009).
Health literacy is a term not widely understood by the general population. It is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions and services needed to prevent or treat illness,” (About health literacy, 2014). A person’s level of health literacy is based on their age, education level, socioeconomic standing, and cultural background. Patients with low health literacy have a more difficult time navigating the health care system. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this group of patients may find it harder to find medical services and health care providers, fill out health forms, provide their complete medical history with their providers, seek preventative care, understand the health risks associated with some behaviors, taking care of chronic health conditions, and understanding how to take prescribed medications (About health literacy, 2014). It is to a certain extent the patient’s responsibility to increase their own health literacy knowledge. But to what extent can they learn on their own? Those working in the health field have been trained to navigate the health system and understand the medical terms. They have the knowledge and capability to pass on that understanding to their patients. Health care professionals have a shared responsibility to help improve patients’ health literacy.
doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1998.00547.x Robinson, K., Kearns, R., & Dyck, I. (1996). Cultural safety, biculturalism and nursing education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Health & Social Care in the Community, 4(6), 371-380. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2524.1996.tb00084.x Rochford, T. (2004). Whare Tapa Wha: A Mäori model of a unified theory of health.
Jeannette Dorado SPI 310: Cultural Competence in Health Care Jennifer Flamboe September 6, 2017 Purnell, Ch. 1 Review Question. 1. The need for cultural health studies in this country is to help individuals in the health care field to be more aware of their patient’s culture and being able to understand their forms of medication and illness. 2. The rights that humans have, in the healthcare field , regardless of their status in the country is that they have the right to expect that the health care will respect their beliefs, values, and practices.
South University offers education in many advance practice nursing roles, for the purposes of this paper the Master of Science in Nursing Specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner will be discussed. The Family Nurse Practitioner Program promotes development of culturally competent nursing, development of critical thinking and communication skills, promote the use of evidence based practice in order to provide quality healthcare services to individuals, and families. The Family Nurse Practitioner Role extends in to the clinical field of medicine, in which they are task with activities than include giving orders, such as diagnostic tests, medication prescription, diagnosing, interpreting diagnostic test, performing special procedure, even
A common misunderstanding, for example, happens when the provider is insensitive to the patients’ needs. When a patient is unable to understand the provider, it causes a health literacy gap, as a result, treatment could be affected and the patients’ health could get compromise. In other words, “Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions” (Parker and Ratzan, 2000). Patients with a low health literacy often struggle to understand medical terms; they easily misinterpret information and causes of their health issues. Hence the importance of properly communicating with a patient, in manner that they
One of the goals of nursing is to respect the human rights, values and costumes of a patient and his or her family and with the community as a whole. The International Council of Nurses states that nursing practice can be defined generally as a dynamic, caring, helping relationship in which the nurse assists the client to achieve and maintain optimal health. As health care providers, we have some fundamental responsibilities such as to promote health, to prevent illnes...
...ways should be implemented such as patient and family communication to avoid separation anxiety .Secondly, Encouragement of health care practitioners’ surveys to improve services through patient’s feedback. Thirdly, increase of health indicators such as control of weight gain to reduce obesity, diabetes or hypertension. Fourthly, increased personal health education such as effects of alcohol and drug abuse to reduce cancer or drug related diseases. Fifth, encouragement of regular health checks, prescription collection, immunisation, use of community based services such as exercises and social services. Lastly, regular visits by specialists to remote communities to increase trust and understanding between the specialists and the patients since indigenous people are more confident when interacting in their own context and language (Nguyen, 2008).
Due to America’s immigration patterns as of roughly the 1990s, there has been a spike in diverse population residing in the United States. In order to deliver professional standards of care, cultural competence is important. Why? Clients could file claims for health care provider’s failure to successfully diagnose and treat a certain disease or symptom due to the provider’s lack of knowledge of the patient’s health belief, cultural beliefs, traditions part of religion…etc. Due to the rise in immigration, we have such disparities in the country when it comes to health care services, if health care practitioners can treat every patient or client in the most cultural competent manner then that is when we, as a nation, can reduce this disparity.
(2002), majority of minority groups do not speak English and this affects service delivery since majority of caregivers and health practitioners speak English as their first language. This element makes the minority groups to be underserved and limits them from enjoying quality medical care like their English speaking counterparts. Another contributing factor is the cultural effect, and this is evident in situation where patients decline contemporary medical care in favor of traditional and conventional medicine. A case in example is among the Native Americans whose way of life is cemented to their aboriginal customs and traditions, and they tend to look down any form of contemporary medical care. Finally, the most dangerous factor that cause health inequality is the issue of racism and bias based on ones’ racial/ethnical background.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.) data is defined as factual information used for discussion, scientific research and analysis. Information is defined as having the capability of communicating knowledge that is being presented to increase or explain a problem or a solution to a particular matter (Merriam- Webster Dictionary, n.d.). According to Oxford English Dictionary (n.d.) knowledge is defined as having the ability to recollect information that is gained through personal experiences, experiences from others or education. Wisdom is defined as having the ability to make practical decisions from previous experiences or knowledge (Oxford English Dictionary, n.d.).