Introduction
The story of Christy Fitzgerald shows the importance of cultural competence in nursing practice. The young woman had to take care of a Romani girl who was surrounded by her relatives. Christy did not expect the family to be in the hospital and was shocked when they tried to prevent her from treating the patient. However, had Christy been aware of specific cultural features of the Romani, she would not have been confused by their behavior. According to Marion et al. (2017), the culturally competent nurse should realize how “culture influences one’s health beliefs, health practices, and communication patterns” (para. 17). It is clear that Christy did not possess these skills. That is why it is crucial to identify reasons for the nurse’s negative perception of the Romani and understand how similar cases can be resolved.
Main body
While reading the story of Christy Fitzgerald, at first, I also felt annoyed with the behavior of the Romani family. It seemed incredible to me that people can impose their own norms in another cultural environment. However, as Murcia and Lopez (2016) point out, there are usually some “personal and contextual factors” that impede the acceptance of other cultures (para. 4). It was challenging for Christy to adequately perceive the behavior of the Romani because she did not know that they did not believe in the type of treatment she was providing to the girl. At the same time, the nurse grew in a monocultural environment, and thus, she did not know how to interact with people from distinct nations appropriately. According to Brooks, Manias, and Bloomer (2018), when people feel that their cultural demands are not met, the health outcomes decline, as patients become dissatisfied with the quality of the care. When people need treatment, it is vital for them to feel secure and calm. This can only happen if their cultural demands are taken into account.
Therefore, after reading Christy’s story and reflecting on it by completing the assignments, I changed my initial attitude to the Romani family and people from other cultures in general. It became clear to me that these people may feel afraid and uncomfortable in the environment, which is unfriendly to them. As it was already mentioned, this feeling can have an adverse impact on the process of treatment. In this case, it is essential to ensure that the specific cultural needs of people are addressed. It is wrong to suggest that some universal approach to patients exists. Moreover, nurses should not believe that they are right just because they have more medical knowledge than patients. Sometimes people want to be understood, and this is what nurses have to do when it comes to communicating with people from a different culture. All in all, after reflecting on the story, I decided that patients living in other cultures have their own expectations, and thus, patterns of behavior, which should be considered by nurses.
It is also crucial to identify how Christy can overcome cultural barriers the next time she encounters the Romani. As she will already know that one should consider the cultural needs of the patients, it will be easier for her to handle the situation. However, there is some precise advice that the nurse may take into account. Firstly, she needs to ensure that the Romani are satisfied with the current conditions, and nothing disturbs them. This will help to create a positive atmosphere that will contribute to the process of treatment. If there is something that concerns the Romani, Christy should try to address the problem. Secondly, if the Romani become unsatisfied with what the nurse does to the patient, she needs to stay calm and try to understand what exactly in her behavior made them unhappy. This requires some knowledge of the cultural background of the Romani people, so Christy has to prepare for such situations in advance. She also can ask the Romani for clarification of their frustration if she cannot detect the reasons herself.
Finally, it is vital to understand how the issue of cultural competence in nursing can be addressed by medical institutions. In the story of Christy Fitzgerald, one can already find such proposals. The nurse manager, Jacquelin, suggests that the hospital provides big Romani families with special accommodation. This would be the right decision because it can directly affect the specific needs of the Romani. In order to consider the cultural features of all patients, medical institutions can gather large amounts of data concerning the behavior of distinct ethnic groups (DeÄźer, 2018). Nurses and doctors should observe how patients from different cultures behave at the hospital and report it to managers. Authorities can process the data and elaborate programs aimed at certain cultural groups. These programs can include staff training or, for instance, the establishment of special places in the hospital, the same as in the case of the Romani.
Conclusion
Cultural competence is one of the most crucial qualities that a professional nurse has to possess these days. The example of Christy Fitzgerald led me to believe that the nurse should not rely heavily on the initial impression of patients. Their behavior may result from specific cultural requirements that are not met. As it was shown, it is the task of nurses and authorities to provide culturally competent care for patients coming from different ethnic backgrounds.
References
Brooks, L. A., Manias, E., & Bloomer, M. J. (2018). Culturally sensitive communication in healthcare: A concept analysis.Collegian, 26(3), 383-391. Web.
DeÄźer, V. B. (2018). Transcultural Nursing. In N. Ulutasdemir (Ed.), Nursing (pp. 39-63). London, UK: IntechOpen.
Marion, L., Douglas, M., Lavin, M. A., Barr, N., Gazaway, S., Thomas, E., & Bickford, C. (2017). Implementing the new ANA standard 8: Culturally congruent practice.The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 22(1). Web.
Murcia, S. E. A., & Lopez, L. (2016). The experience of nurses in care for culturally diverse families: A qualitative meta-synthesis. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 24, e2718. Web.