Cultural Value Of Transcultural Nursing

In the article, “Sometimes Pain Is a Puzzle That Can’t Be Solved”, Abigail Zuger, the author, describes her own experiences with pain along with some examples and generalizations about the feeling. She claims that she is “ruled by (her) elbow” and “it is (her) constant companion, whimpering, and tugging at (her) sleeve.” She goes on to say that many people have the same problems, especially when drugs, “like naproxen and ibuprofen” are unhelpful and “might as well be cornflakes.” Finally, she explains how far we have advanced in the medical field, but “ none of (the) knowledge has translated into new treatments,” to help people such as herself.

The human brain is made up of many things, like blood, flesh and veins, but deeper in the brain consists of one's stress, thoughts and pain. As humans, we experience a lot of pain, it could be physical, mental or psychological. Pain can be caused by many things, even by another person. Their acts, their words or even their behaviour can cause you some type of pain. Over time, mental pain becomes a burden, and we need to open up once in a while and relieve ourselves of this burden.

Considerable evidence demonstrates substantial ethnic disparities in the prevalence treatment progression and outcome of pain-related conditions. Elucidation of the mechanism underlying these group differences is of crucial importance in reducing and eliminating disparities in these pain experience. Over recent years, accumulating evidence has identified a variety of processes, from neurophysiological factors to structural elements of Healthcare system. That may contribute to shaping individual difference in pain. For example, the experience of pain differentially activate stress- related physiological response across various ethnic groups appear to use differing coping strategies in managing pain complaints treatment decision vary as a function

In nursing school, students were introduced to the idea of cultural competence. It is a concept that I am familiar with due to my cultural background. Being respectful and aware of the beliefs and values of other traditions cannot be neglected and ignored. We are all global citizens that hold different views and perspectives, therefore leaders must equip themselves with the understanding that people expect and will act differently based on their cultural beliefs.

In other words, to be culturally competent, professionals must provide superior, respectful medical care to all patients. This must start with building an understanding of basic philosophies and value systems of different population groups. This is especially critical in the nursing field where much time is spent providing hands on care with each patient. A nurse must be sensitive to language differences, social cues and personal lifestyle choices

There are several cultural concepts competence for example in the book identified cultural competency in two senses. First, recognizing the beliefs and behaviors of own cultural person to treat a patient in a way fit the culture. Second, acquiring adequate knowledge of cultural to give the care that suits the culture of the person (Cartwright, L.A. and Shingles, R.R., 2011). Simplify, Dr. René state cultural competence as a process that makes you involved and appreciate cultural differences.

Pain The interchange of emotions and feelings within one’s self is a particularly hard thing to measure. Pain is a combatant of positive and negative change. Pain is one of the most prevalent causes of human change, and is a provoker of human deterioration. Pain has always been a major factor in healthcare.

According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (2016), "cultural competence refers to the ability to honor and respect the beliefs, languages, interpersonal styles, and behaviors of individuals and families receiving services, as well as staff members who are providing such services". Therefore, it is critical for community health nurses to equip with cultural competence when they service and provide care to diverse populations. In order to offer the optimal care, well utilizing the advantages of the cultures is essential. In cultural preservation, nurses can support the use of the cultural practices, such as “Tai Chi Chuan” to decrease the risk factors of stroke.

Physical pain according to Elaine Scarry is an “absolute slip between one’s sense of one’s reality and the reality of other people.” (4 Scarry) One of the things that I learned this semester after taking the Body in Pain class and having the opportunity of attending House of Loreto Nursing Home is how physical pain can be as painful as mental pain. In many cases, physical pain has no voice. As the audience, we are incapable of feeling and understanding how much pain they are experiencing. In the essay “Body In pain”, Scarry writes about the difficulty of expressing pain and how “Physical pain has no voice but when it finds a voice, it begins to tell a story.”

In the words of E.B. Tylor, Culture is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. " Culture is a dominant human instrument for survival, but it is a fragile phenomenon. It is continually changing and as nations grow, so do their cultural disparities.

Madeline Leininger’s Cultural Care Diversity and Universality Theory, deals with the impact of culture on health and healing. In health care today, a nurse must deal with people from many backgrounds, cultures, and ethnic origins. Transcultural nursing is practiced throughout nursing when caring for people from different cultures. The purpose of Leininger’s theory is to produce knowledge related to nursing care of people from diverse nationalities, who value their ethnic heritage and culture. Leininger’s theory recognized and understood cultural differences and similarities while caring for patients of different backgrounds.

Joyce J. Fitzpatrick author of “Cultural Competence in Nursing Education Revisited” claims that having a week long cultural competence course is not adequate enough to competently care for a patient of another culture. She thinks that nursing students need a more enriched program on this issue and that one way to get a valuable learning experience is to join the international student exchange and travel to a different region. Likewise, Tracey Longs’ article “Influence of International Service-Learning on Nursing Student Self-Efficacy toward Cultural Competence” also talks about the positive impact travelling aboard had on sixteen nursing students. Longs’ article talks about the positive impact continuing cultural education had on the nurses’ ability to provide confident care the patients deserved. However, this was only for a select few students who could afford the cost of this experience while being able to leave their job and families for an extended period of time.

Introduction: Culture is defined as the way we live. It encompasses our values, our beliefs, our customs, languages and traditions. It is reflected in our history, our heritage and our way of expressing ideas and creativity. Our culture is a good indicator of our quality of life, dynamism and health of our society.

Throughout the course of the semester, the most talked about topic is cultural competence. The book defined cultural competence as “the ability to effectively provide services cross culturally” (Jandt, 2013). This term is important in the health care field because a variety of people from different cultures will be encountered. As a result, a conflict may arise between the health care provider and the patient, and it is the nurse’s job to provide the best care that accommodates the patient’s views as well. In order to provide the best care, the journal article provides ways on how to treat patients who have opposing views.

Throughout time, the role of the nurse has become very complex, and consists of much more than performing a specific set of learned skills. The nursing profession is constantly evolving in response to ever-changing expectations and developments. One such development is the need to provide culturally competent care in today’s diverse and multicultural communities. An awareness of cultural diversity is fundamental for any nurse in order to meet the health needs of every patient. Nurses need to acknowledge that each patient should be assessed individually for cultural differences.