Culturally Diverse Patients: A Case Study

Nurses working in a hospital setting are confronted daily with the diversity of their patients. As soon as the patient gets admitted to the hospital that is when patient education begins. The patient is looks as individuals regarding one's culture and educational level. The nurse has to be more aware of different ways to approach educating and caring for the patient, due to the increasing diverse patient population that face barriers which include cultural, linguistic, and health literacy (Singleton & Krause, 2009, p. 1). Nurses are in a position to promote the interconnections between patient culture, language, and health literacy to improve outcomes for culturally diverse patients. Healthcare workers need to be sensitive to the patient’s beliefs and values, not forcing his or her beliefs onto the patient. This is when the nurse can form a trust, and mutual respect, whereby the patient accepts the teaching. The nurse must consider cultural values and beliefs of the patient. Otherwise, there can be miscommunication or misunderstanding between them.
Sometimes different teaching styles, and methodologies are used to make sure a patient understands the information the nurse has presented. For instance, you may want to draw pictures or give pamphlets of information with diagrams for the patient to review. Of course if the patient has a preferred language, it will be useful to get someone to give information using that language. This will enhance the patient’s understanding of the education …show more content…
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