NURSES’ CULTURE.

Running head: NURSES’ CULTURE 1
Reflection: Nurses’ Culture
Name
Institutional Affiliation

NURSES’ CULTURE 2
Reflection
Event
As a nurse, I have encountered various culturally sensitive events. One such event
involved attending to young mother who was suffering from hemorrhage and genital tissue
swelling. The patient was a Somali Woman, aged 32 years, who moved to the United States to
seek asylum in her teenage years. The patient came to the hospital and I was tasked with the role
of documenting her medical history. The woman looked anxious and worried. In the course of
our interaction, she disclosed that before she moved to the US, she had undergone female genital
cutting, which is a common cultural rite among the Somali community. Female genital cutting is
illegal and uncommon in the western culture,. Initially, I had not handled such a case in my
nursing career.
The Concepts
In such a situation, I needed to understand the dynamic qualities of my own culture and
that of my client so as to explore a healthy nurse-patient relationship. Therefore, I considered the
universal human rights that demand equity in healthcare delivery to ensure that my beliefs did
not interfere with how I accepted and interacted with the patient. Also, the nursing values of
compassion, patient advocacy, and knowledge of intercultural interactions were essential. I also
practiced cultural humility through critical reflection, which enabled me to avoid stereotyping
and consider the patient as a dignified individual.
Findings and Application
Jarvis (2008) explained that cultural sensitivity and cultural awareness are essential in the
delivery of culturally competent healthcare. Douglas et al. (2014) explained that human rights
and social justice are critical components in the delivery of culturally competent healthcare.