Inclusive Practice Blog

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

References

Diehr, P., et al. (2010). Do communities differ in health behaviours? Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington: Seattle.

Heaslip, V. & Ryden, J. (2013). Understanding Vulnerability: A Nursing and Healthcare Approach. UK: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.au/books?id=LylEgcaPaMUC&pg=PA1935&dq=disability+and+vulnerability+health+care&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiR7rmE_NXKAhUG32MKHVraAbc4ChDoAQheMAg#v=onepage&q=disability%20and%20vulnerability%20health%20care&f=false

Humphreys, J. & Wakerman, J. (2015). Primary health care in rural and remote Australia: achieving equity of access and outcomes through national reform. Australian Government. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/nhhrc/publishing.nsf/Content/16F7A93D8F578DB4CA2574D7001830E9/$File/Primary%20health%20care%20in%20rural%20and%20remote%20Australia%20-%20achieving%20equity%20of%20access%20and%20outcomes%20through%20national%20reform%20(J%20Humph.pdf

NICE. (2011). Person-centred care. In NICE (2011) Organ Donation for Transplantation. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. NICE clinical guideline 135. Retrieved from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK126803/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK126803.pdf

Omeri, A. & Raymond, L. (2010). Diversity in the context of multicultural Australia: Implications for nursing practice. Ch. 19, 3^rd Ed. Australia: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.

Sorensen, K., et al. (2012). Health literacy and public health: a systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BioMed Central, BMC Public Health.

Vohra, N. & Chari, V. (2015). Inclusive Workplaces: Lessons from Theory and Practice. The Journal for Decision Makers, Vikalpa, Vol. 40, Issue 3. SAGE Publications.

Wolf, A. (2012). Person-centred care: Possibilities, barriers and effects in hospitalised patients. University of Gothenburg. Sweden: Research Gate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Axel_Wolf/publication/265110604_Person-centred_care_Possibilities_barriers_and_effects_in_hospitalised_patients/links/546f45fc0cf2d67fc03106fc.pdf

Sunday, 31 January 2016

Cultural Health Practices and Beliefs

In this module I learnt about the importance of recognising patient’s faith and cultures in order to achieve person-centred care in the health care workplace. NICE (2011) recognises that “treatment and care should take into account people’s needs and preferences”. From the weekly lecture, I have understood that this can include a number of areas of a person’s life including: dietary requirements, preference for gender, preference in medical procedures, culture-bound syndromes, and alternative therapies. For example, some religions cannot eat certain meats or must have it prepared in specific ways, some religions only allow for female nurses with female patients, or some faiths do not support autopsy or organ donation after death. Furthermore, I have learnt that there are certain preferences in medical procedures that are determined by different cultures. Although in the medical world these procedures are deemed acceptable, religions such as Buddhism, for example, refrain from using narcotic analgesics. I also found it worthy to note that patients have the right to choose and refuse certain therapies and procedures even though it is to improve their health.

It was interesting to learn about how much an individual’s culture and beliefs impacts on health care. This would be beneficial for my future career as a Registered Nurse because it is important to respect the patient’s personal beliefs and culture. Additionally, as a nurse I would be required to not only see the patient as a patient with an illness, but also as a “dignified and capable person” (Wolf, 2012, p.15) which is the core of person-centred care. If a situation like this were to come up in the future during my career as a Registered Nurse, I would ensure that I recognise the cultural beliefs of patients and establish mutual respect in order to come up with a care plan that meets their needs and requirements.

Word count: 307

References:

NICE. (2011). Person-centred care. In NICE (2011) Organ Donation for Transplantation. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. NICE clinical guideline 135. Retrieved from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK126803/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK126803.pdf

Multiculturalism and Health

Week 7’s module was discussing the rising population of migrants in Australia’s society today. It was interesting to see that the population’s reason for growth was majority due to migration (60%) rather than because of birth (40%). With this in mind, it is important to understand and adapt to the multiculturalism that is present within society and its impact on health care. I have learnt that with a multicultural population, arises challenges as a health care professional such as language barriers, emotional barriers and cultural barriers. Also, this increase in a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) population has led to significant changes in health status, as there has been a lot of illnesses among the migrated population. The interview with Mercy Baafi, a migrant from Ghana, showed me that it is important not to make assumptions about people based on their ethnicity, which is a very common misconception that is practiced.

As a future Registered Nurse, this topic would be beneficial for me as it opens my mind up to the respect and compassion that is required on not only a cultural level, but also an emotional level as well. Furthermore, it is important to understand as a health professional how different cultures have an impact on the health system as well as migrants difficulties in accessing health care due to cultural conflictions and barriers. As the migrant population of Australia is the “most vulnerable and in need of support at a far greater level” (Omeri & Raymond, 2011, p.6), I would work cooperatively with the patient in order to ensure their health is not compromised due to their cultural disadvantages.

It is reassuring to know that there are procedures in place to accommodate for CALD patients, such as interpreters or having collaborations with family, where communication would otherwise be obstructed and difficult to achieve. It has made me realise that as a nurse, my role is not only to have medical knowledge but also be able to relate to the patient on a more personal level. If I was to come across a CALD patient in the future, I would ensure that the line of communication is clear and that their cultural beliefs are respected.

Word count: 366

References:

Omeri, A. & Raymond, L. (2011). Diversity in the context of multicultural Australia: Implications for nursing practice. Ch. 19, 3^rd Ed. Australia: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.

Cultural Competence and Care in Communities

This module gave an in-depth analysis of the different kinds of cultures that were present in different communities. It is important to understand how different areas have different demographics, as this will determine what kind of patients and cases you deal with as a nurse. For example, suburbs such as Richmond have predominantly Chinese demographic, mining areas have a high population of males, and working as a school nurse would mean working with school children. With these different demographics comes differing ways of health care, as some prefer different methods of treatment or require additional services. The interview with Rosalie and Rikki helped me to understand how caring for people is different amongst each individual as everyone has different cultural and personal requirements and needs.

Also, different communities are exposed to certain health complications that are prevalent within the area as the “health needs of many Australian communities are still not adequately met” (Humphreys & Wakerman, 2015, p.3). It was interesting to see how living in rural areas, as opposed to the city, increased the risk of experiencing back pain, asthma, and mental problems. There are also different economical variances within different communities that a nurse would have to be accommodating for in order to provide sufficient health care.

This module is important to learn about because for my future career as a Registered Nurse I would be expected to be educated enough to provide relevant answers to patients of different communities without causing any conflicting advice. Furthermore, it broadens my knowledge of what to expect as a nurse in different areas and communities and helps to give direction into which area I would want to work in as a nurse. As “communities differ in the prevalence of various health behaviours” (Diehr, et al., 2010), this module is able to assist me in understanding the basic principles of healthcare for patients in different communities.

Word count: 314

References:

Diehr, P., et al. (2010). Do communities differ in health behaviours? Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington: Seattle.