As the United States become more diversified in cultures, it is very important for the workers in the healthcare profession to be up to speed on the various cultures from all around the world. To be up to speed on the various cultures from around the world means to be culturally competent. It is very important to carry being culturally competent into the professional practice of nursing. To be culturally competent in the professional practice of nursing means to be able to provide the proper treatment and care for a person with a different culture according to their culture. With the many different cultural groups that a nurse may encounter in the professional practice of nursing, it is common to encounter challenges when attempting to provide
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A wide cultural and linguistic diversity exists among Chinese Americans. Linguistic diversity may cause communication problems among Chinese people. Although the official Chinese language is Mandarin, there are many dialects spoken that are not understood by other groups of Chinese. This could pose a problem when an interpreter may try to be used to effectively communicate with the patient. Silence and avoiding disagreement is valued in the Chinese cultural, especially in public. In addition Chinese Americans do not ordinarily touch another person during a conversation, it is important for the nurse to explain the necessity of touching for therapeutic purposes. Chinese Americans tend to be “good patients”- quiet and polite, with few requests- and tend to suppress feelings such as anxiety, fear, depression, or pain, it is important for the nurse to recognize nonverbal cues and their cultural meanings to develop culturally appropriate nursing care plans. It is also important for the nurse to recognize how Chinese American families work. They tend to be family-oriented people who normally put family commitments before personal interests. The nurse should effectively use influential family members to achieve the therapeutic goals. Thus, it is important to provide health care education to all family members, not just the client, when procedures are done. On the opposite side, the nurse should be careful in avoiding disclosing information to inappropriate family members by assessing the family
A wide cultural and linguistic diversity exists among Chinese Americans. Linguistic diversity may cause communication problems among Chinese people. Although the official Chinese language is Mandarin, there are many dialects spoken that are not understood by other groups of Chinese. This could pose a problem when an interpreter may try to be used to effectively communicate with the patient. Silence and avoiding disagreement is valued in the Chinese cultural, especially in public. In addition Chinese Americans do not ordinarily touch another person during a conversation, it is important for the nurse to explain the necessity of touching for therapeutic purposes. Chinese Americans tend to be “good patients”- quiet and polite, with few requests- and tend to suppress feelings such as anxiety, fear, depression, or pain, it is important for the nurse to recognize nonverbal cues and their cultural meanings to develop culturally appropriate nursing care plans. It is also important for the nurse to recognize how Chinese American families work. They tend to be family-oriented people who normally put family commitments before personal interests. The nurse should effectively use influential family members to achieve the therapeutic goals. Thus, it is important to provide health care education to all family members, not just the client, when procedures are done. On the opposite side, the nurse should be careful in avoiding disclosing information to inappropriate family members by assessing the family