Cultural Diversity in clinical laboratory sciences - Essay Example

Cultural Diversity in Clinical Laboratory Sciences Lecturer: Afro American and Asians Similarities Both communities advocate preventive healthcare and strive to ensure that the body is effectively maintained to avert diseases. In both cultures, mystical healing is believed to work whereby evidence of voodoo still exists among the Afro Americans. This is a combination of Christian rituals and African practices that are considered to possess therapeutic powers. Among the Asians, mystical healing is evidenced by practices such as rubbing a coin on the body of a sick person.

Coin rubbing is a popular traditional healing process. Elders in both communities are a respected group that is looked upon in high regard. Among the Asians, blood is regarded as the energy of life that is passed on to children by the elders and ancestors and therefore should not be given away. Similarly, the elders among Afro American are highly respected and are considered to be the source of wisdom and knowledge (CultureDiversity.Com). DifferencesAmong the Afro Americans, religion is an indispensable and fundamental component of culture.

It is central to their health and wellness believing that God is the giver of good health and can also cause illness. On the other hand, Asians believe in the balance of nature whereby balance is accomplished when the body is healthy and illness arises when this balance is lost. In contrast to the Asian community, the Afro Americans are highly sensitive to racism, which is derived from their history of oppression as slaves of American farmers. For example, restraint on a child who is tied on the bed to effectively apply intravenous lines is viewed by the guardian as a form of oppression based on her past experience with white masters.

The reference of a black young man as a boy is also considered to be offensive in the Afro American culture, which is a word associated with slavery by the whites. In contrast to the Afro American, the Asian patient is unlikely to talk about his/her feelings of sickness unless the symptoms are notable by others. Under circumstances of ill health, the Afro American turns to prayers (CultureDiversity.Com). Cultural Diversity Understanding cultural diversity is useful in establishing the appropriate way to interact with patients from varied cultures.

For example, it is important to understand restraint among Chinese patients while avoiding actions that may indicate racial tendencies among the Afro Americans. It is important for healthcare professionals to appreciate cultural diversity since they deal with patients from different cultural backgrounds. The first contact with a patient determines his/her willingness to continue with treatment or to follow instructions. A particular action or comment may be acceptable among patients from one culture while it may be offensive for a patient from another culture.

Cultural competence can be acquired through constant learning with regards to the approaches, principles and behavior of different cultural groups while respecting the differences that exist between them. Knowledge on Cultural Diversity Knowledge about cultural diversity has been helpful in learning the significant role that culture plays in healthcare. With this knowledge, I am able to identify barriers to cultural understanding between healthcare professionals and patients. Understanding different cultures is also necessary to effectively deal with patients of different age groups according to their expectations.

It is also possible to understand the concerns of patients with regards to laboratory procedures and how to address them without offending the patient. It is also useful in maintaining effectiveness while working in a culturally diverse environment with health care professionals from different cultures. ReferenceCultureDiversity.Com. Transcultural Nursing: Basic Concepts and Case Studies. Retrieved from http://www.culturediversity.org