Understanding Cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Health Literacy: Arab Culture - Essay Example

"Understanding Cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Health Literacy: Arab Culture" is a worthy example of a paper on the health system.
The scenario that has been created by Mrs. Nasser is not something that is seen every day. The nurse attending Mrs. Nasser’s daughter must not try to alter the opinion of the cultural beliefs of Mrs. Nasser, rather she should try to understand what she is trying to explain and what her concerns are regarding her daughter’s conditions. She must make her understand that Mrs. Nasser should allow the doctor to conduct the vaginal examination of her daughter as it seems really critical concerning the symptoms of Samia. The symptoms of Samia indicate that she might have a urinary tract infection or vaginal yeast infection and the doctor needs to conduct the vaginal examination in order to be sure and the doctor is not allowed to prescribe any drug without ensuring what the actual problem is.

The nurse should make Mrs. Nasser understand that vaginal examination will not compromise the virginity of her daughter. She must positively and patiently respond to the queries of Mrs. Nasser and must take her into confidence ensuring that the female doctor is an expert in her field and fully aware of the values related to the Arab culture and therefore she will perform the procedure more cautiously. If the nurse has communicated effectively with Mrs. Nasser addressing all her queries and concerns then I don’t think that vaginal examination of her daughter will be a big issue for Mrs. Nasser.

As the nurses nowadays are being educated in a multicultural environment, so they are also being taught about different cultural needs and they also know that these cultural needs may vary from person to person. The position of nurses is considered to be ideal for facilitating the connection between the patient’s culture, health literacy barriers, and linguistic (Singleton & Krause, 2009).

The cultural congruent strategies that can be effective in Mrs. Nasser’s case are that she must be allowed to be attended by an Arab nurse and an Arab doctor who is aware of the Arabic cultural values. In this way, the relationship of trust will be built between the patients, her family, and the health care staff.

After convincing Mrs. Nasser that the doctor will effectively and cautiously address all her concerns while examining her daughter, it is the duty of the nurse to achieve the desired result. She should then explain the sensitivity of the situation to the doctor and ask her if she can explain the detail of the procedure to Mrs. Nasser, as she is very much concerned about her daughter. The nurse must also be with Samia during the procedure, as she is the one who interacted with the patient and her family. During the procedure, the nurse must also ensure that the procedure is going as it had been explained to the patient and her family. In this way, she will be able to ensure that Samia has received appropriate care. Building an effective relationship with the patient and her family can only help to deal with a case like this.