Question

Examine the issue in terms of cultural diversity, health promotion, and communication methods. Discuss in detail how this issue affects healthcare delivery and advanced nursing.

Answer 1

• Cultural diversiy includes race, nationality, religious affiliation, language, physical size, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability (physical and mental),political orientation, socio-economic status, occupational status, geographical location.
• Diverse cultures have their own health beliefs, values and practices, that may conflict with those of Western medicine. Increasing cultural diversiy and use of CAM (Complementary or Alternative Medicine) and spiritual practices make it necessary for nurses to have knowledge of other systems of care as well as the diverse peoples they serve.
• Racism, i.e. assumption of superiority, has been a destructive approach in handling cultural differences.
• Stereotyping is another barrier in health care delivery and health promotion. Cultural shock occurs when difference of cultures are overwhelming to individual and communities, including nurses, and lack of awareness is compounded by feelings of superiority.
• Communication methods for health promotion include various types of communication approaches and strategies to ensure people adopt recommended healthy practices. They can be verbal, non-verbal, formal, informal, technology-aided, and signs and symbols. Communication methods include articulation, development, testing, dissemination of practical suggestions, claims, and persuasive messages within various communication formats and media channels for the purpose of promotion of health of individuals and the community.
• Communication methods for health promotion raise issues related to culture as they aim to influence people's views and lifestyles, and infringing on people's right to freedom of choice and autonomy. Idealizing particular lifestyles or turning health into a value raise concerns regarding citizens' consent to the interventions wchile ertain beliefs and practices of cultural significance may be unhealthy.  
• The nurse is faced with the challenge of incorporating the cultural needs of the patient to provide quality and satisfactory care. Training in educational programs that support cultural competence and creating policies that accomodate cultural diversity to achieve positive health outcomes. Cultural accomodation and understanding in a multicultural health care environment is beneficial to the patient and the nurse relationship, improves the quality of care and increases job satisfaction.