Culturally Competent Healthcare: Opportunities & Challenges - Essay Sample

Introduction

With the growing diversity of nations, opportunities and challenges for healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and health care systems to establish and deliver culturally competent services. Cultural competence is the ability of organizations and providers to deliver healthcare services effectively that meet cultural, linguistic, and social patients' needs (Henderson et al., 2018). The culturally competent health care system improves the quality of care and health outcomes and can contribute to the elimination of both ethnic and racial disparities. That will be achieved by offering relevant training on linguistic barriers, cross-cultural problems and cultural competence to the health practitioners.

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Patients with chronic conditions require quality health care and when the health practitioners are not collaborating to provide culturally competent care, there is a higher risk of the patient to have negative health consequences and dissatisfaction (Papadopoulos et al., 2016). Various strategies improve cultural competence in health care systems. They include recruiting and retaining minority staff, offering interpreter services, coordinate traditional healers, offer training to improve skills, knowledge, and cultural awareness, including community health workers, and locating clinics in areas that are easily accessible (Henderson et al., 2018).

There are various strategies that can help me achieve the objective, and the first is by ensuring that I regularly engage in cultural interactions with patients. Maintaining a high level of respect to the different cultures of the patients I deal with is another strategy. I will achieve this by improving my communication and language barriers. I will work with interpreters in regions where I do not understand the language they use. However, I feel that I have mastered the objective because of number of reasons; first, it is because I have worked and volunteered in communities with diverse populations. In addition, I have pursued my BSN education that has helped me be able to solidify it in practice. The other reason is that I have participated in professional group discussions regarding dealing with cultural diversity.

Objective 3 In nursing education, critical thinking is frequently studied. Critical thinking is important in the day-to-day clinical nursing practices. The nursing clinical instructors understand that students find it hard when making decisions associated to clinical practice. My objective is to use critical thinking skills when working in collaborative partnerships to protect, promote and optimize health for individuals, families and communities throughout the lifespan in a variety of environments of practice. There are strategies that I used to implement the objective in the program. The first is by taking part in DB regarding chronic illnesses and nursing theory. With this course, I will gain information on the chronicity concept from the perspective of families and individuals having chronic conditions.

The focus is mainly on the elements that affect the optimal well-being and health of vulnerable individuals, families, and populations. The other strategy is by using a computer-based 3D sim lab patient when performing a realistic health assessment exam. I also implemented the nursing process in diverse populations. Nurses use the skills of critical thinking during the process of making decisions and solving problems of patients with top creativity. It is a vital process for secure, skillful and efficient nursing intervention (Negandhi et al., 2015). I need to adopt positions that refine my critical reasoning skills and that promote critical thinking to achieve a meaningful assessment of every information and decisions taken each day when dealing with patients.

Critical thinking is a mental active process when evaluating, analyzing and synthesizing information collected, and sometimes it is derived from experience, reasoning, reflection, observation, and communication that results to action. Critical thinking applies to nurses because they possess diverse multifaceted knowledge that helps them deal with numerous situations they encounter at work (Papadopoulos et al., 2016). Combining creativity and critical thinking helps to refine the results of nurses. This is because nurses can identify specific solutions to certain issues with innovative ways in situations where the traditional interventions are not effective. With critical thinking skills, I am able to quickly generate new ideas, be flexible and natural, perform independently with confidence, and establish original problem solutions. In critical thinking, nurses are able to differentiate claims based on opinions, conclusions, judgments, and facts (Henderson et al., 2018).

The initial stage of critical thinking is the assessment of reliability of information. This is where the nurses require to confirm the accuracy of the information by referring to other informants and evidence. For a nurse to have clear information of the patient situation, both the patient and the nurse need to agree with the significance of concepts. Individuals applying duties requiring critical thinking need to develop various attitudes and traits. They include fairness, humble intellect, integrity, independence of thought, and self-confidence (Pennbrant & Syensson, 2018). As a nurse, I will not remain to what I gained in school, but I will be open-minded when it comes to various intervention methods for technical skills. Critical thinking will help me to be impartial. I will be able to take into account the views of both older and younger patients.

I have understood that I need to master this objective using different strategies. First, I need to engage in shared decision making with respect and open-minded dialogue. This will create a friendly atmosphere that results to emergence of solutions to any problem. Again, I am regularly advocating for the wants and needs of my patients. With my BSN education, I have the skills to provide quality care with my patient's needs and mind.

Objective 4 Leaders in healthcare settings include health service managers, healthcare administrators, healthcare executives, patient care managers, chief medical officers, etc. Successful leaders and managers in healthcare settings require interpersonal skills, clinical skills, and business competencies (Hargett et al., 2018). The leaders need to establish a strong workplace culture that drives positive trends in the engagement and retention of employees. Employee leadership is an essential skill required for leadership success in healthcare settings. This entails the ability of the managers and leaders to lead teams and people effectively. Leaders need to build healthy relationships and communication among the other employees in the healthcare setting (Hargett et al., 2018).

Leaders need to ensure that they can build teams of talented staff members, ensure fairness when handling direct reports, train employees and foster their career opportunities and professional development, and delegate decision making to establish employee confidence and skills (Negandhi et al., 2015). With this, the leaders will create a positive workplace culture. Leaders need to embrace participative management and encourage other staff members in the healthcare setting to share information, ideas, perspectives, and reactions. Resourcefulness is another skill that leaders and managers need to possess. Good leaders are innovative when performing their duties. They solve issues in the organization for themselves and for their teams. Leaders allocate resources, get input, and find creative ways to empower and inspire their subordinates to deliver top patient care (Hargett et al., 2018).

Composure is another important skill that leaders need to have. Healthcare is a high-risk and fast-paced industry. Each decision made by healthcare practitioners at work affects the wellbeing of the patients. Strong leaders have the skill of navigating within stressful environments without bringing more stress by reacting spontaneously. Emotional intelligence is important for leaders in the healthcare setting. They need to ensure that they control and manage their emotions and have a work-life balance (Negandhi et al., 2015). In addition, leaders need to support and empower their subordinates in the healthcare setting to take care of themselves. As stated above, healthcare is regularly evolving and leaders need to be quick in grasping and devising ways of managing change from every side. Such changes include advancements in technology in treatment and diagnostics, new and growing regulatory needs, integrations and mergers of healthcare delivery networks, numerous complex health epidemics, and seismic shifts in the health insurance industry (Hargett et al., 2018).

Healthcare organizations depend on their managers and leaders to adapt and understand changes occurring in the industry. Leaders need to guide the workplace and navigate the human resources in change management. Leaders must understand the significance of utilizing data to inform and drive changes in an organization (Hargett et al., 2018). Leaders need to practice participative management. It is not possible for leaders to act or think like one, they need to set a team that helps in the decision making process. Healthcare leaders need to be adept at participatory management. The modern leaders in healthcare settings need to understand when, and how to involve their subordinates in building consensus and decision-making.

To implement this objective, I have participated in group discussions concerning healthcare policy. In addition, I have studied research papers discussing leadership and management. Using the Jung typology test, we have received a personalized personality analysis. To master this objective I need to find a mentor at work and study different leadership styles. Furthermore, I need to participate in training workshops, and practice leadership skills. I am regularly looking for new ways to show my leadership skills through mentor evaluations and learning new leadership skills. My BSN has enabled me to focus on achieving this goal.

Objective 5 I have encountered different problems, questions, and patient needs that need proper clinical decision making for the right intervention in my daily practice setting...