Introduction
Health practitioners are required to embrace diversity in order to effectively meet the needs of their clients (Ball, Dains, Flynn, Solomon & Stewart, 2015). In her article to The New York Times, Alice Randall states that cultural, socioeconomic, spiritual, and other elements of human lifestyle have a great impact on individual health (Randall, 2012). Randall (2012) uses a unique example of a segment of the Black American population. The individuals are of the view that overweight women are beautiful and desirable compared to those who are not.
To impart positive health values on the population, it is important to understand and show genuine concern for their values and beliefs. In this paper, the author analyses diversity in health assessments using the example of a 16 year old Middle Eastern girl who wishes to have access to contraceptives. However, the girl does not want anyone in her family to know about it.
Building a Health History for the Patient
Factors Associated with the Patient
With regards to socioeconomic factors, the 16 old girl is still dependent on her parents. They are the ones who are going to pay for her contraceptives, either knowingly or unknowingly. Spiritually, the patient is a Muslim. Her faith does not allow sex before marriage. In addition, the use of contraceptives is not encouraged. Her lifestyle revolves around school and interacting with her friends and family. She informed that she has a boyfriend and her sex life is active. Her culture requires her to be submissive to the men in her life, including her boyfriend. That is why she found it important to seek contraceptives.
Issues to be Sensitive to when Interacting with the Patient
The practitioner is likely to encounter a number of issues in their attempts to build the health history of the patient. The practitioner should be sensitive about the cultural differences between them and the client. The patient may be unwilling to disclose facts for fear that the professional will be partial (Dains, Baumann & Scheibel, 2012). The practitioner should avoid biases when interpreting the information provided. Age differences may also affect communication. The 16 year old patient may not be comfortable sharing information with a person who is older than her. As a health practitioner, the professional should be aware of this.
To remain sensitive to the population’s diverse nature, a nurse can devise strategies to help improve their functionalities. For example, when handling the girl seeking contraceptives, the professional should avoid direct confrontations (Qaseem et al., 2012). As such, the girl will agree to disclose their personal information. Judgemental statements deemed to attack their integrity will make them less willing to share their story. The practitioner should be able to show the patient that they are genuinely concerned with their welfare (LeBlond, Brown & DeGowin, 2009).
Questions to Ask and How to Frame Them
To compile a health history, a practitioner is required to prepare a number of questions (Laine, 2012). In this case, the questions to be posed to the girl should be sensitive to her culture. The aim is to be friendly to them.
Following are the questions:
- What is your opinion about contraceptives and why would you consider using them?
- How did you get to learn about contraceptives?
- In your opinion, what are the objectives of using contraceptives?
- Have you considered some of the effects associated with them?
- Have you engaged in sexual activities before?
Conclusion
The modern society is made up of people from different walks of life. The diverse nature of this community is evident in various forms. For example, there are variations in culture, socioeconomic status, spirituality, and lifestyle (Ball et al., 2015). The varying elements have a considerable effect on the health of the individuals. As such, health practitioners need to be culturally competent in order to effectively deal with diversity in the society. They are required to desist from making statements and asking questions that may be seen by others as prejudicial.
References
Ball, J., Dains, J., Flynn, J., Solomon, B., & Stewart, R. (2015). Seidel’s guide to physical examination (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby. Web.
Dains, J. E., Baumann, L. C., & Scheibel, P. (2012). Advanced health assessment and clinical diagnosis in primary care (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Elsevier. Web.
Laine, C. (2012). High-value testing begins with a few simple questions. Annals of Internal Medicine, 156(2), 162-163. Web.
LeBlond, R., Brown, D., & DeGowin, R. (2009). DeGowin’s diagnostic examination (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Medical. Web.
Qaseem, A., Alguire, P., Dallas, P., Feinberg, L., Fitzgerald, F., Horwitch, C.,…Weinberger, S. (2012). Appropriate use of screening and diagnostic tests to foster high-value, cost-conscious care. Annals of Internal Medicine, 156(2), 147-149. Web.
Randall, A. (2012). Black women and fat. The New York Times Sunday Review. Web.