The Perspective of Health, Illness, and Culture To Provide Inclusively - Term Paper Example

Name: Professor: Title: Date: Introduction Despite the fact that the health care is improving in most parts of the world, there are many disparities in the field. This is because each country has people from all cultures and each of them has to access health care. Differences in cultural practices, ethnic and economic disparities are some aspects that this essay addresses in relation to health care. For instance, in the US, citizens come from different ethnic groups and the health care department has the obligation of creating equality on all. Cultural competence is a requirement in such a country in provision of health care (Anderson 2013). This research aims at looking at cultural competence and sensitivity by health care professionals in health care. For instance, there are people of Russian culture and origin in the US. This means that health professionals in this country will encounter several of Russian cultures in their work. Their culture is different from other citizens in the US, especially regarding health care. Most experts in US admit that Russian patients do not open up to medical experts on their health concerns. On the other hand, Hispanics have different subgroups amongst themselves. The subgroups have different practices despite the fact that they have a similar origin. This culture believes that they should consult older members of the community on matters regarding health. That means that their culture does not allow them to seek medical help from health professionals. They prefer seeking help from folk healers rather than professionals. Cultural competence involves the ability of experts in this field to work effectively with people from other cultures and ethnic groups. It also entails understanding individuals on the basis of culture and language and work with them efficiently. Cultural sensitivity requires that health care experts become aware of cultural diversity and commit to competence in that field (Rose & Rose 2012). This is a process that requires commitment by health care experts. This process entails certain stages including development awareness, which entails being aware of the issue. The other stage is the acquisition stage, whereby professionals should acquire knowledge on the issue. The third stage is developing and maintaining skills from stage two. Health care involves diagnosis of diseases in patients and offering appropriate treatment. It involves much care to patients as they depend on their professionalism. Health care professionals need to take good care of the sick in terms of all their primary needs, secondary and in public health too. Health care specialists interact with patients from all walks of life in terms of cultures and beliefs. It is important to not that there are various cultures in the world today, each with different practices and beliefs. They have different ways of dealing with their issues, health issues being one of them. That means that they have to learn on how to deal with all cultures due to their divergence. This essay aims at analyzing various cultures that health care practitioners encounter in their work and how they handle them.Health care also involves certain policies that guide their work. Health policies involve decisions and actions that aim at meeting certain objectives in the society. Health policies should incorporate cultures from various societies and communities so that none is left out. This is because health care policies aim at providing universal care according to policies by the World Health Organization. It is the duty of each health professional to offer these services to the assorted range of patients from all cultures (Anderson 2013). The world is multicultural and each culture has its own expectations from health care professionals. These are some of the challenges that the health care sector faces. This is because they have to follow certain policies set by the World Health Organization, yet adheres to beliefs and practices of some cultures. For instance, some cultures do not believe in hospital treatment as they believe that treatment only come form herbs or form their creator. Health experts, therefore, find it challenging dealing or treating such patients (Rose & Rose 2012). In the event of an accident, a health care practitioner will come to the rescue of victims to offer health care. However, in most cases victims from such cultures do not agree to hospital treatment. Importance of health professionals to have an understanding of different health and cultures. Educational centers that train nurses and other professionals in this field have the obligation in cooperating this aspect in their training. Cultural safety is an important aspect. It entails understanding culture of an individual first before extending to others. This equips nurses and doctors with such knowledge on how to deal with the multicultural world and patients. Such training includes training various languages in case a professional goes to offer care services to another country. Culture divergence is an aspect that health professionals, training institutions and patient should embrace, rather than making an assumption on the same.Research shows that 1.2% of health professionals offer care in foreign countries, away from their training countries. This indicates that health care professionals need an understanding of many cultures so that they are able to handle all their patients. Differences in cultures have an impact on how patients react to health care. They also affect their understanding and how they deal with illness and methods of diagnosis. Information about the same diagnosis also affects behavior of patients on treatment (Rose & Rose 2012). Other practices like gender and family roles also influence decision making process of clients on treatment. Other forms of variations include cross cultural among members of the same culture in health care and treatment. Health professionals offer health services to different communities and homes. Communities have different beliefs and practices that define their cultures. It is important that all health professionals familiarize themselves with various cultures to make their work easy. By doing this, interacting with various communities is easy; therefore, their health care services are easy (Srivastava 2007). Learning and appreciating these cultures will encourage people from these communities; hence, health professionals will offer health solutions to them.Cultural safety in health care entails understanding the manner in which a personal culture relates with others. Charity begins at home, and so does cultural safety policy apply. It is important to have a clear understanding of one’s culture before spreading knowledge to others. Health care professionals should get enough training and understanding on cultural sensitivity. It entails proper communication with all patients regardless of their ethnicity and culture to understand their needs in relation to health care. Proper communication enables one to recognize and understand diversity of beliefs and practices from various ethnic groups in the world. The aspect of culture and practices has been in existence for so long, therefore, professionals should not ignore its impacts in their practice. Understanding of health cultures involves four major aspects. One of such is the knowledge and awareness of health cultures. A nurse ought to have enough knowledge on cultures around the world, so that they know what to do and vice versa of a culture. For instance, some cultures do not embrace the aspect technology in the medical field (Srivastava 2007). Such cultures will not accept treatment in hospitals as they use technology, which to them is against their practices and beliefs. In such a case, a nurse or doctor ought to know how to deal with such a patient without making him feel inferior (Rose & Rose 2012). Such beliefs may be different from those of a health provider; therefore, it should appear to have any form of bias whatsoever. A very important aspect of culture divergence in health care provision includes people who should be present during health care. This has been a major issue between this culture and doctors and nurses. This is because in some cultures, a member of the family has to be present during any form of health care. However, doctors and nurses require some form of privacy as they carry out their services to patients. In such cases, most health care providers need to be alone in the treatment room with their clients. This creates controversy because clients have to respect ethics of doctors, nurses and other professionals. On the other handled, the same health care professionals have to respect cultures and practices of their cultures. It is a difficult and challenging situation because professionals take an oath to respect and follow all set policies without failure (Rose & Rose 2012). It is for this reason that professionals in this area must have a clear knowledge and understanding of such practices so that they are in a good position to handle such matters without hurting their patients.Another controversial area in culture divergence and health care provision is addressing patients. This is because in some cultures, a practitioner of the female gender cannot treat a male patient. Such cultures regard it as disrespect when addressing them. In such situations, a female health care professional must be knowledgeable on how to deal with such patients. According to their professional oath and requirements, they have an obligation of offering fait treatment to all. It is also challenging because a culture of a practitioner is not always similar to that of the patient. Regardless of that, a nurse ought to offer equitable health services to all his patients. Such a situation calls for understanding of various ethics group and skills on treatment of such patients. Ethics also require that health professionals offer quality services to clients, regardless of their cultures and practices. Experts must bear in mind that they deal with clients who might have different cultures and beliefs from their own. Other areas of controversy ion regard to provision of health care to clients of different cultures include birth rituals and birth control methods. There are some cultures that regard the issue of using birth control methods as a taboo. This is because they belief that they have a duty of filling the earth (Anderson 2013). Therefore, in such cultures, a nurse or any other health officer cannot offer birth control services, even if it is right. The other concept on the same is the issue of blood transfusion. Health officers must understand cultures that regard blood transfusion against their cultures and deal with them in an appropriate manner. For instance, in the occurrence of an accident and a patient from such a culture looses a lot of blood. Such a client is not obliged to have blood transfusion according to his beliefs. On the other hand, his life is in danger due to blood loss. Such clients would rather die than have blood transfusion. Therefore, it is relevant to have knowledge on such practices so that a health expert treats them well. An expert ought to learn on other alternative methods of saving lives of such patients without carrying out blood transfusion so that he respects their beliefs (Higgs 2008). Another crucial area that requires health care professionals to understand different cultures and their practices and train on how to treat them is the issue of nudity. This issue is common in cultures that believe it is a crime to show their nudity. For instance, a gynecologist will face this challenge because his area of specialization does not spare any patient from being free and open with him. However, clients with such health issues and they practice this culture cannot get proper treatment. Therefore, it is the duty of a health provider to understand how to relate with such clients. Understanding different practices rather than your own is essential. It is also important that training institutions train health professionals on various ways of dealing with culture divergences. Preparation of death rituals is one common area that brings controversy. Different cultures have different ways of preparing for death rituals, while the health care sector has also a standard way of doing it (Srivastava 2007). It is also important that you as a health professional to understand that not all your patients speak your language. This creates a challenge in communication during treatment. Conclusion Most health departments in the world today offer recommendations regarding this issue in various documents. These recommendations aim at coming up with possible solution on the issue of health care and cultural practices. Experts in this area advise development of strategies to deal with the issue so as to relate with the diversity of cultures (Higgs 2008). It is also important that health care providers place themselves in the shoes of patients so that they are able to treat them right. Health departments must promote positive relationships among staffs of diverse cultures so that they learn how to relate with them well. Medical centers have an obligation of offering proper training to health care providers on such matters and methods of dealing with them. It is also important to hire staff from different cultures so that they can accommodate each other. References Srivastava, R (2007): The health care professional’s guide to clinical culture competence: Elsevier Health Sciences. Higgs, J (2008): Clinical reasoning in the health professions. 3rd edition: Elsevier Health Sciences. Rose, P. R & Rose, V. P (2012): Cultural competency for the health professional (book only): Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Morrison, N. W (2005): Cross-cultural caring: a handbook for health professionals: UBC Press. Anderson, R (2013): Ministry in the spiritual and cultural diversity of health acre: increasing the competency of chaplains: Routlegde. Read More