Cultural Competence in Healthcare: Exploring the Purnell Model - Essay Sample

Introduction

Cultural competence plays a critical role in the profession of healthcare. It makes the doctors understand and respect the cultural differences of their patients so that they do not allow their beliefs to interfere with the level of care they give. This improves the satisfaction of racial and ethnic minority patients. Through this, the professions in healthcare, understand the differences in languages, and beliefs about medicine. This paper will explore the Purnell model for cultural competence by explaining the culturally sensitive care, the theory, and the organizational framework along with the 12 domains of the Purnell.

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Culturally Sensitive Care

Cultural sensitivity is being aware that there is the existence of differences and similarities among people who exist without any value. This simply means that the nurses are aware that all patients are not the same and understand that their culture is no better than any other religion. The differences are reflected in ways that different groups communicate and relate to one another and carry over into interactions with healthcare providers.

Cultural sensitivity is applied in healthcare, where the creation of cultural awareness is required. This takes place where a patient may be in a position to recognize differences between him or herself and in individuals who are not part of the same culture society (Purnell & Fenkl, 2019). It is applied where an observant practitioner can identify variations of patients' cultures and their culture and consider the impact of their behavior approaches.

The Theory and Organizational Framework of The Purnell Model and Discuss Its Relevance to Transcultural Health Care

The theory of the Purnell model was developed by Larry Purnell when he was teaching undergraduate Students on cultural differences. The model is made of a circle and 12 constructs that impact the culture. In the model, the inner rim represents an individual, then a circle representing family and another one that denotes the community. The outer layer of the model shows the global society (Purnell & Fenkl, 2019). The model is based on theories and studies associated with the development of the family, communication, along with methods of organizations.

Healthcare practitioners can accomplish cultural competence in four main processes. Before attaining conscious power, a practitioner must acquire unconscious competence (Purnell, 2002). The primary components of cultural competence involve nationality, race, age, color as well as religious affiliation. The secondary components include political beliefs, parental status, marital and physical characteristic.

Describe Purnell's 12 Domains of Culture, And Assess How Each of These Domains Plays an Active Role in The Diversity of Health Care in Your Specific Field.

Further, the innermost circles of the Purnell Model consist of 12 domains. Each domain, denote the concepts that nurses and clinicians should focus when assessing patients (Albougami, Pounds & Alotaibi, 2016). The domains are regarded as separate entity that influence each other and as result as unified part of the whole. The 12 domains include:

Communication

The domain analysis features such as eye contact, tone, facial expressions and names.

Organization and Family Role

The domain includes concepts that are associated with the role of gender, the priorities in life, along with the lifestyle of the patient.

Heritage

The domain is associated with the nation of origin, current residence, the status of education, politics along with the reason for emigration.

Workforce Issue

The concepts are related to autonomy, assimilation, styles of communication, individualism, and healthcare practices.

Biocultural Ecology

Involves variation in ethics and racial origins such as skin color and physical differences in body stature, genetic and topographical diseases.

Higher Risk Behavior

The domain involves the use of alcohol, recreational drugs, alcohol, lack of physical activity, nonuse of safety measures such as helmets, seatbelts, and a higher risk of sexual practices.

Nutrition

The domain includes having pretty food, choices of food, and how food should be used during illness.

Pregnancy and Childbearing

It includes practices of fatality, means of birth control, and drug abuse related to pregnancy.

Death Rituals

The domain is concerned with how people and the culture view death, the rituals and practices to prepare for death and burial.

Spirituality

It involves the practices of religion and the use of prayer, behaviors that give meaning to life, and individual source of strength.

Healthcare Practices

The domain is concerned with the aim of healthcare, such as traditional, magic religious, and biomedical beliefs.

Healthcare Practitioner

This includes the status, use, and perception of tradition.

How the Model Can Be Applied When Working with Different Cultures to Become A More Culturally Competent Health Care Provider.

The model can be applied by creating awareness of its advantage to all nurses and healthcare facilities (Albougami, Pounds, & Alotaibi, 2016). The education program should be implemented to ensure that healthcare clearly understands its meaning.

Albougami, A. S., Pounds, K. G., & Alotaibi, J. S. (2016). Comparison of four cultural competence models in transcultural nursing: A discussion paper. International Archives of Nursing and Health Care, 2(3), 1-5.

Purnell, L. (2002). The Purnell model for cultural competence. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 13(3), 193-197.

Purnell, L. D., & Fenkl, E. A. (2019). The Purnell model for cultural competence. In Handbook for Culturally Competent Care (pp. 7-18). Springer, Cham.