Healthcare Diversity

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Supporting Lectures:

Review the following lectures:

Diversity as a Multicultural Social Concept

It is the eyes through which it is viewed that make diversity most intriguing. Diversity is more than a dissimilarity among individuals. It is a multicultural society comprised of people with varying demographics, socioeconomic statuses, cultures, religions, racial classifications, and national origins. However, it is not limited to these factors. There are many other faces of diversity. These include language, physical size, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability (both physical and mental), political orientation, and factors comprising socioeconomic status, occupational status, geographical location and more. The concept is more complex than what it seems at first blush.

There are countless cultures around the globe, which makes it increasingly difficult to gain an understanding of all. It is not the complexity of the word culture but the complexity and the number of different societies. The United States was built as the melting pot, an ethnocentric concept of acclimating to the concept of mainstream America. While it is a logical approach to facilitate many aspects of American society without speaking English, adopting English as the spoken language enhances the potential success of education, health services, and other important social interactions. Many cultures cling to cultural bias such as language to maintain cultural identity. In reality, mainstream American is purposeful pluralism.

The healthcare setting is not alone in the struggle to achieve cultural competency, but it is somewhat unique. Perplexing is the comparison of healthcare delivery contrast to higher education. Many of the nation’s finest institutions of higher education enroll foreign students who possess an understanding of the English language to fulfill educational aspirations. The challenge remains in healthcare delivery to identify the goals of cultural competency to address diversity.

Challenges in Communication Technology

Impacts Challenges
Noncommunicable diseases, such as cancers, diabetes, and obesity, have increased worldwide. Deal with the problem of obesity and the diseases associated with it. This is due to the reason that many US-based fast-food joints have established their outlets in numerous countries.
Changes in the infrastructures of transportation and communication and human migration have increased at an unprecedented rate. This has increased the risk of spreading diseases. Increase the surveillance of communicable disease to mitigate threats to health.
Exploration of healthcare to various markets around the globe. Understand the religious and cultural values to deliver healthcare services.
Illicit and illegal drug trade has spread across many countries around the globe. Develop addiction programs and lower recidivism rates through spreading education and introducing primary interventions to discourage drug use.

Additional Materials

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The Spectrum of Diversity Viewed as Self

Pause for a moment and view the idea of diversity through the eyes of a marginalized individual. Who would you be? Would you be an individual of a different: religious affiliation, language, physical size, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability (physical or mental), political orientation, socioeconomic status, occupational status, or simply be from a foreign geographical location? This query brings to mind the idea that diversity means something different to every person. Given this understanding, it would be impossible to develop a proficiency in all matters of diversity, but the goals of developing proficiency to identify and attempt to understand the difference are entirely possible.

The importance of cultural values allows a person to derive a sense of meaning. We all make meaning through our lived experience. However, as we progress on our journey we also must be willing to accept and acclimate to our changing environment. This process can reduce the burden upon others to accommodate to our special needs and derive a self-serving measure to accept the provisions of the new environment. Many cultures extend a welcome when the attempt to embrace the host environment is recognized. In short, the process is a give and take by all parties involved.

Several models exist to aid in developing cultural sensitivity in a healthcare setting. While it is impossible to know all regarding diversity, the icebreaker is to show that you care. While it might remain challenging or a moral conflict for a health professional to care for a person with perceived questionable moral behavior (e.g., abortion, substance abuse, spouse abuse, addiction), the role of the healthcare professional is the humanitarian moral high ground.

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The Strata of Society

Diversity exists in all strata of society. It is present in the society’s subgroups and organizations. All cultures include majority and minority groups. If diversity is defined as a difference, we must examine the scope of difference beyond gender and race. The notion of difference can be based on race, gender, religion, language, geography, physical difference, disability, and more. All are equally important to the individual. An individual interacting in the society as a minority experiences similar emotions whether their difference is based on gender, race, or disability.

The idea of difference in culture can be especially interesting. Culture is basically viewed as a set of norms establishing a standard for acceptable social behavior and interaction. The norms are mostly unwritten and can be influenced by external pressures such as the influx of other cultures. Cultural norms guide social interaction, and a variation can be perceived as a difference or a sense of discomfort. The difference in social interaction can be seen as boundaries of personal space, eye contact, body language, negotiating style, and more. It is widely agreed that these differences might not be sufficient to establish overt differences. It is human nature to subconsciously avoid uncomfortable situations. The goal is to develop an ability to recognize the difference and to be inspired to accept, understand, and embrace it. No single difference is greater than the other.

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Additional Materials

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Striving to Understand Cultural Competence

Striving to understand various cultures and achieve cultural competence is a challenge for a healthcare organization and more so for a health professional. Many healthcare professionals choose the healthcare field out of a profound desire to help others. The desire to overcome barriers is often at a subconscious level as well as the endeavor to understand health beliefs, behaviors, and culture to achieve culturally competent and care for the whole patient.

Many healthcare providers might consider an introspective approach to identify, understand, and assess their ability to care for a diverse patient population. Campinha-Bacote (2002) have developed a mnemonic “ASKED” to assist the health professional in self-assessing to determine and identify areas of sensitivity or needed understanding. The mnemonic “ASKED” represents Awareness, Skill, Knowledge, Encounters, and Desire (see table 1). It must be noted the expectation is not to become an expert or develop the falsehood of believing that one is an expert on the various cultures and differences in society. It should be understood that the difference is not only real, but is a lived experience viewed through the eyes of the patient. As such, the best approach to understand diversity is through an emotionally astute interrogative interview exchange between the healthcare professional and the patient.

Several pathways have been developed to facilitate the idea of addressing diverse cultural desires. The “LEARN” model provides a process to assist the healthcare professional with an approach to understand a patient’s difference. The mnemonic represented by the acronym “LEARN” is the process of listening, explaining, acknowledging, recommending, and negotiating. In a patient-centered approach, the diagnosis must first be understood and accepted, treatment options need to be explained, and the patient should be allowed to select the treatment that best suits his or her lifestyle, cultural belief, and other factors (Berlin & Fowkes, 1982).

References:

Berlin, E., & Fowkes, W. (1982). A teaching framework for cross-cultural health care. Western Journal of Medicine, 139(6), 934–938. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10110…

Campinha-Bacote, J. (2002). Cultural competence in psychiatric nursing: Have you “ASKED” the right questions? Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 8(6), 183–187. doi: 10.1067/mpn.2002.130216

Cultural Competence: Have I “ASKED” Myself the Right Questions?

Review each icon to understand the ASKED model.

Displays the ASKED model.

Additional Materials

From the Internet, read the following:

  • Berlin, E., & Fowkes, W. (1982). A teaching framework for cross-cultural health care. Western Journal of Medicine, 139(6), 934–938. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10110…
  • Campinha-Bacote, J. (2002). Cultural competence in psychiatric nursing: Have you “ASKED” the right questions? Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 8(6), 183–187. doi: 10.1067/mpn.2002.130216
  • Putsch, R. W., III, & Joyce, M. (n.d.). Dealing with Patients from Other Cultures: Methodology in Cross-cultural Care. 229, 1050–1065. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK340/pdf/Book..South University Established 1899

Assigned Readings:

  • Campinha-Bacote, J. (2002). Cultural competence in psychiatric nursing: Have you “ASKED” the right questions? Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 8(16), 183–187. doi: 10.1067/mpn.2002.130216
  • Berlin, E., & Fowkes, W. (1982). A teaching framework for cross-cultural health care. The Western Journal of Medicine, 139(6), 934–938. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10110…
  • Putsch, R & Joyce, M. Dealing with Patients from Other Cultures: Methodology in Cross-cultural Care, 229, 1050–1065. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK340/pdf/Book…

Healthcare Diversity

The concept of healthcare diversity extends beyond cultural, racial, and religious personal identity. Healthcare professionals need to develop the ability to understand the extent of individual differences commonly referred to as diversity. The differences must be recognized, but to what extent is the healthcare provider’s obligation to accommodate? It must also be recognized that some cultures from around the globe view sickness through a different lens and are accustomed to different healthcare approaches and outcomes. Finally, the spectrum of diversity must be recognized as ranging from race and religion to amputee or the hearing impaired.

Based on your readings and research, answer the following:

  • What is the best approach to understanding diversity and why?
  • To what extent should the healthcare organization/professional accommodate?
  • Do you believe there are specific categories of diversity that must be recognized? What are they and why?
  • Do you believe the difference in defining diversity is within the lived experience of the patient?

To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.

Your initial posting should be addressed in 150–300 words. Submit your document to this Discussion Area by the due date assigned. Be sure to cite your sources using APA format.

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