Essay Example on Language Barrier Overcome: My Most Notable Nursing Experience

Introduction

Nursing practice has become an integral aspect of the diversified world’s cultural landscape (Young & Guo, 2016). Therefore, the most notable instance in my nursing career is dealing with the language barrier with a patient. I once encountered a patient who could only communicate in their local dialect that I did not comprehend. It was only through the translation effort of a colleague that I was able to communicate with the patient, and as a result, I provided the required healthcare. The information I obtained helped me to understand their customs. Therefore, I improved my way of interacting and handling them for more comfortable treatment.

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Sociocultural factors

This course has helped me appreciate how sociocultural factors influence the healthcare system. The family dramatically affects the healthcare system. Most older people are religious, and religion plays a fundamental role in the healthcare system. Religion helps by promoting self-worth and a purpose for life. Also, religion believes in sex after marriage and discourages drinking of alcohol with the aim of shaping an individual's behaviors and health (Jessee, 2016). Different cultures have a variety of accustomed food and diet that affect healthcare. Some cultures consume vegetables that lower their susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. The tendency of elders turning to traditional medicine has, at times, proved to be costly with the herbs causing more harm.

Cultural competence

Many people have different ways of coping with illness, depending on their cultural factors. For example, the Asians evade distressing thoughts when it comes to personal problems instead of externally expressing their pain (Han & Cho Chung, 2015). African Americans prefer handling their sorrow or instead turn on spiritual support. It is, therefore, necessary to train the health workers on their cultural competence to improve service delivery.

Actions

Bringing the gap in communication across cultures is vital. Healthcare professionals must be assessed on their competence before hiring a worker in a given region. To deal with diversified patients, it is critical to learn some of the cultures and find new and innovative techniques for handling the patients. For instance, in case my culture value individuality and distinctiveness, it may result in underestimation of the efficiency of family therapy for cultures that value interdependence.

References

Han, S., & Cho Chung, H. (2015). Development of a cultural competence scale for nursing students. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 45(5), 684. https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2015.45.5.684

Jessee, M. A. (2016). Influences of sociocultural factors within the clinical learning environment on students' perceptions of learning: An integrative review. Journal of Professional Nursing, 32(6), 463-486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.03.006

Young, S., & Guo, K. L. (2016). Cultural diversity training. The Health Care Manager, 35(2), 94-102. https://doi.org/10.1097/hcm.0000000000000100