ETHICS, DIFFERENT CULTURES AND WAYS OF LIFE

The importance of cultural competency in healthcare is discussed, highlighting the need to understand and address cross-cultural issues to provide effective care. The assignment emphasizes that nursing services require a cultural context to be developed, and that health professionals should undertake efforts to eliminate administrative barriers and linguistic hurdles in patient care. It also notes that understanding individualistic and collectivist cultures can help establish personal relationships with patients, leading to more effective services.

ETHICS, DIFFERENT
CULTURES AND WAYS OF
LIFE

The increasing diversity in the population and number of patients, the health care industry
has been facing varied opportunities as well as challenges to make available services which are
competent in nature. This quality of services of this sector is highly dependent on the manner
different cultures interact with each other. Hence, a cultural competency is required to be
developed by all the services made available by healthy providers as well as policy makers. It is
important to note that nursing is one such service which can produce enhanced health outcomes
and effective care, depending upon their competency to efficiently interact on a cultural level.
Moreover, this shall also enable the service providers to make a significant contribution to
elimination of disparities in connection to racial as well as health issues. This leads to the need of
development of strategies which enable the health care services to be focused specifically
addressing cross-cultural issues (Ogilvy, 1992). The health professionals and the ones
developing relevant policies shall undertaken every effort to eliminate administrative barriers, in
addition to linguistic hurdles in the process of patient care. It is highly imperative for the health
care industry to understand that indulging into successful communication with the patients shall
be one of the priorities for the service providers. Each such individual shall be able to
differentiate between the cultural backgrounds, and be able to bridge the gap between existing
differences in the cultural values. This not only enables the nursing services to be more effective,
it also makes the entire comfortable for all the involved people. Some of the demerits which may
arise if the cultural differences are not addressed in a proper manner, in the form of adverse
clinical outcomes, poor participation from the patient's end, delayed immunizations, non-
compliance, reduced level of satisfaction and other inaccurate consequences.
The health care system of Western Europe is primarily subjected to patients who are from
either individually oriented culture or group oriented culture. The basis of this distinction lies in
the extent to which an individual derives his identity from his surroundings, and possess the
feeling of being taken care by their own community, family or any such group. For instance, the
patients who have a highly individualist background, carry a sense of separation from their own
group and are more self-reliant. An independent personality is developed by these people, which
is completely distinct from their own groups. On the other hand, a person from collectivist
culture derives his identity completely from his own group, and are strongly involved within
each other lives. The beliefs and opinions prevalent in these cultures are exclusive in nature, and
can also be defined as highly contrary to each other.
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It is important to understand by these professionals that the interaction which the patients
undertake with them constitute to be a part of their personal relationships. In pursuance to the
same it is vital in the field of nursing for the service providers to have a cultural context of the
individuals they are serving. In absence of the same there exists high probability for the
professionals to provide in effective services (Cultural Diversity in Health and Social Care:
Some Questions and Answers for Health Care Professionals, 2011). For instance, while catering
to the needs of an individualistic patient, the approach of dealing shall be on similar terms to
realize effective results. As has been noted by many, if nursing care is provided by a person who
follows the same path, and in a way represents the beliefs of the patient, an effective connect can
be established. Since, individually oriented people believe in focusing upon their own needs and
requirements, the health care providers shall also adopt an approach which can be easily
understood by such a person, and is in connection to his own benefits. On the other hand, the
primary focus of group oriented people is benefiting their own group of people. One of the prime
strengths of the former is that they are highly focused on improve their own condition, and shall
undertake every effort to feel better, if addressed by appropriate approach. However, one of the
weakness which these people face are that of lack of belongingness, which keeps them detached
to many elements. On the contrary, group oriented people are emotionally attached to various
societal elements, which enable the service providers to use each of them to establish a strong
connection with their patients. Therefore, a highly crucial role is played by cultural competence
in the nursing sector as it further enables them to embrace diversity and enhance the quality of
care being delivered.
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REFERENCES
Ogilvy, J., Revisioning Philisophy, 1992. pp. 231-234. [Online]. Available though:
<https://books.google.co.in/books?
id=UbDNxo_fxmcC&pg=PA232&lpg=PA232&dq=strengths+and+weakness+of+individu
alist&source=bl&ots=B9UOd8BDC6&sig=HY0kt5o3yPtrbyZVYzuR2KbPBDo&hl=en&s
a=X&ved=0ahUKEwiF1ICDrPvRAhUeSI8KHfChDgoQ6AEIVTAJ#v=onepage&q=stren
gths%20and%20weakness%20of%20individualist&f=false>. [Accessed on 6th February
2017].
Cultural Diversity in Health and Social Care: Some Questions and Answers for Health Care
Professionals. 2011. pp. 38-40. [Online]. Available through:
<https://books.google.co.in/books?id=IhcyAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA38&dq=healthy+care+
%2B+cultural+diversity&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixnpL8yfvRAhWIu48KHbZwAa
wQ6AEIPDAG#v=onepage&q=healthy%20care%20%2B%20cultural
%20diversity&f=false>. [Accessed on 6th February 2017].
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