Healthcare Essay: Cultural Competency for Non-English Speakers

This essay delves into the crucial topic of cultural competency within healthcare, emphasizing its significance in providing equitable and effective care to diverse patient populations. It defines cultural competency as the ability of healthcare organizations to minimize health disparities and treat patients effectively, highlighting the ethical responsibility of practitioners to offer quality care without discrimination. The essay explores the principles of cultural competency, including treating all religions equally, providing services to all economic groups, and maintaining professional boundaries. It presents the NHMRC model, outlining its four dimensions: culturally competent health care system, organization, profession, and individuals. The essay further examines forces leading to healthcare inequalities, such as sociological, political, and historical factors, and discusses the challenges faced by non-English speaking patients, refugees, and immigrants. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of healthcare practitioners developing cultural sensitivity and effective communication strategies, including the use of sign language and a patient-centric approach, to ensure quality care for all individuals regardless of their background.

Major Essay (Healthcare)
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INTRODUCTION
Different cultures have their own values, beliefs and perceptions. Cultural competency is
the term which defines the ability of health care organization of minimizing health disparities
and treat patients well (Borkowski, 2015). The term combines the set of behaviour and policies
to formulate a system and enable professionals to deal effectively in cross cultural situations. It is
the moral duties of practitioner that to provides quality care to all patients without any
discriminating the persons on the bases of race, language, religion. Present essay will discuss
upon the topic Non-English speaking female and will discuss the principals of cultural
competency. The NHMRC model will be illustrated in this essay. Several forces which lead to
inequalities will be discussed in this study (Hunt and et.al, 2015).
Cultural competency principles
Medical practitioners need to be competent in every aspect while delivering and health
and social care so that clients or people who are receiving the service do not suffer. Cultural
competence is ability of a medical practitioner to provide their services without creating a
discriminatory environment. Values and beliefs are always subjected to criticism. Social groups
work in this respect so that vulnerabilities to abuse and harm is decreased. Cultures are based on
foundations of these values and beliefs. Several cultural competencies include treating all
religions equal, providing services to all economic groups and sharing equal consensual relations
with all patients or clients (Truong, Paradies and Priest, 2014). Professional boundaries are
designed by keeping these elements in mind. With advancing societies, the sensitivity to cultural
reforms and conflicts in health and social care has increased. Hence, this term cultural
competency is often referred as cultural sensitivity.
During my tenure as nurse, I had managed to deliver my care services to diverse cultural
groups. It only helped me gain knowledge and understanding about various beliefs and religions
that were a part of this culture. For every medical practitioner it is important that care giving
skills are adapted with proper regards to particular cultures. People have evolved with culture
and in today's fast pacing world, culture has become their identity. Effective work relations
between care givers and seekers helps in development of cultural understanding (Courtney-Pratt
and et.al., 2015). In order to maintain health status of a community care practises must be with
regards to cultural competency principles.
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NHMRC Model
National Health and Medical Research Council has given the four dimensional model for
increasing cultural competency in the health care professionals and hospitals. NHMRC is the
government body which gives advice on ethical behaviour so that all medical professionals can
provide equal treatment to patients (Metzl and Hansen, 2014). The main function of this body is
to give advice and allocate funds to health are organizations so that they can improve their
knowledge and can provide quality treatment to all service users. Body aims to enhance cultural
competency in the medical professionals so that they can treat each patients equally no matter
whether they belong to other nation, culture or religion.
There are mainly four dimensions of cultural competence which are system,
organizational, professional and individual (Kelaher, Ferdinand and Paradies, 2014). These all
dimensions are interrelated.
A culturally competent health care system: This element defines that health care
organizations need to promote and market health services well so that all religious people can
communicate openly with practitioners and they can get to know about actual medical condition
of them. By this way no confusion will take place and staff members will be able to provide
them treatment according to their medical condition (Mattocks and et.al, 2014). In this session,
concern system authorities need to train staff members well so that they can get information
about other cultures and can keep in mind. The first dimension of NHMRC Model defines that if
authorities support community development then it will be beneficial in increasing the cultural
competency and will make environment healthier (Cooper and et.al, 2015).
A culturally competent health care organization: In health care organizations patients
come from differed background, cultures. There language is differed from others so it creates
difficulty for the staff members to understand it and to provide them treatment (NHMRC's
mission and functions, 2016). By managing diversity top authorities of health are organization
will be able to increase cultural competency in the workplace. For instance when I was working
in ABC health care as nurse then I saw one case that one married woman came into hospital she
was unable to speak in English. That is why no staff member was able to understand her medical
problem that created a situation that due to heavy stomach pain lady died after 2 days. If there
were any medium of communication then I could be able to understand her situation but I was
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unable that time. So higher authorities need to move from old approaches they need to allocate
resources for sustainable changes (Pérez-Escamilla and et.al, 2015). It will help in increasing
skills and knowledge of workers and they will be able to communicate well with other people.
Ongoing professional development is necessary by this way cultural competency will get
increased.
A culturally competent profession: It is the third dimension in which medical practitioner
are required to get generic and specialist training so that they can develop their professional
skills. Seniors need to give cross cultural training to lower staff members in health care
organization so that they can get knowledge about other religious and can provide them quality
treatment. There is needed to encourage and support cultural competencies in the workplace so
that people can understand the necessity of it (Truong, Paradies and Priest, 2014).
A culturally competent individuals: Individuals are required to understand effectiveness
of proper communication, it will develop better understanding in them and they will coordinate
well with patients. Language is the main barrier but if doctors in health care organizations make
users comfortable and react clam with them then cross cultural issue will not take place. Sign
language will help in understanding the medical condition of patients (Courtney-Pratt and et.al,
2015). By these ways cultural competency will get increased.
Knowledge, skills and behaviours of culturally competent health care practitioners
Health care practitioners have to deliver their services with motive of patient centric
thoughts. Substantial choice of skills and knowledge are important for developing cultural
competency. Health care practitioners are at heart of this set up for care services. Be it social
organisation or private or public, every medical helper has to develop himself in such a manner
that no cultural harm is communicated in the society. Different patients have different cultural
mind set. It is not possible to develop or educate each service giver in all cultures (Duncan,
2015). Hence, National Health Services had developed their own set of beliefs and thoughts
which every health care practitioner is compelled to follow.
The knowledge regarding existing health status and ethnic identities is important for care
givers. They are propelled to provide proper information regarding illness and treatment to their
patients. Basic principle of cultural competency is to safeguard a vulnerable person from all sorts
of harm and abuse that can be caused due to cultural insensitivity (Alizadeh, Chavan and Hamin,
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2016). Behaviour of these health practitioners does get influenced by cultural differences.
Diversity emerges when transitions in thoughts are taking place. For example, immigrants and
refugees from war struck countries find it difficult to gather health care services. At this point it
is morale responsibility of health care practitioners to understand and bridge cultural difference.
The medical institutions run with an objective of giving unhindered care services without
discrimination. This makes them competent to deal with patients from any background and
community.
Forces that lead to inequalities in health care organization
There are several factors that lead to inequalities in client status and health care
provisions. These are such as historical, political, sociological etc. All they impact a lot on
patient's health conditions.
Sociological actor or force is the main element that lead to inequalities. Perceptions of
each culture are differed from other cultural perceptions. If person is having low income then
individual is unable to get quality treatment from well know hospitals because it is quite costly.
That some time create inequalities in the client health status. In some culture it is belief that
women need not to talk with male persons. So if they are suffering from ill health then ladies can
not communicate well with doctors and can not make them understand about medical condition.
It leads to inequality and they do not get proper treatment. Education is another social force that
lead to difference in health care provisions (About, 2016). Due to poor knowledge patients are
unaware with their rights and obligations thus, they do not discuss their medical problems with
practitioners thus, if they face any abuse then they do not raise their voice. As I face the case in
which lady was not able to talk in English that is why she was unable to get timely quality
treatment. If she could have knowledge of sign language then she would be able to express
easily.
There are political forces that lead to inequalities in the health care organization. It has
many elements such as response, policy etc. Government pay more focus on particular class of
people and have made laws for them, it helps such type of clients in getting quality treatment in
hospitals they have good chance to get treatment on priorities. That lead to inequality because
other people those who are out of this section they get deal in getting proper medical care.
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Economical constrains come under in political force and people have to follow guidance and
legislation of authorities.
Historical forces also lead to inequalities in clients health status. As it was earlier belief
that woman had to get treatment from same sex persons, they can not get care from male doctors.
That many times created situation of inequality in the patients condition (Pérez-Escamilla and
et.al, 2015). But over the period provisions have been changed and now women are getting equal
rights and power as men. So they can get treatment from anyone.
Patients who belong to different religion and gender
War situation is very crucial, it destroys entire life of persons and hurt them badly.
Refugees who are unable to talk in English then they have to face many problems in
communicating with doctors and nurses. Being a nurse I will have to keep this point in mind and
will have to understand mental condition of refugees. It will help me to make effective
coordination with such patients. I need to use sign language so that language barrier can not take
place. Refugees are suffering from physical and psychological damages so I need to protect
them and provide them familiar environment so that they can recover from such mental situation.
Some religion believes that woman need to get treated by same sex doctors, but due to heavy
rush some time it is not possible. Being a nurse I will have to make refugees aware that nothing
will go wrong and lady will get quality care by male doctors as well. This positive
communication and attitude will help me to gain trust of them (Duncan, 2015).
Immigrant is the big issue in which person has to settle in other cultural background and
have to understand new cultural aspects. But each religion has its own system and beliefs. Then
it become difficult for patients to make doctors understand about their medical problems. Non
English speaking person has to learn values of other culture so that individual can survive in
other background.
By making good coordination with other religious people and other gender people I can
gain their trust and can make hem comfortable. By this way they will be able to discuss their
problems with me and by using positive attitude and sign language I can provide them quality
care.
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CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that medical professionals have to maintain
cultural competency, by this way they will be able to provide quality treatment to patients and
users will also be able to discuss their problems effectively with practitioners. Essay has
discussed about four dimensions of NHMRC, by following guideline's health care organizations
an increase cultural competency in the care home.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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Caucasian and non-Caucasian patients: a mixed-method study in Australia. International
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Borkowski, N., 2015. Organizational behavior in health care. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Cooper, L. A. and et.al., 2015. Calling for a bold new vision of health disparities intervention
research. Journal Information. 105(S3).
Courtney-Pratt, H. and et.al., 2015. Development and psychometric testing of the satisfaction
with Cultural Simulation Experience Scale. Nurse education in practice. 15(6). pp.530-
536.
Duncan, G. F., 2015. Refugee Healthcare: Towards Healing Relationships.Canadian Social
Science. 11(9). pp.158-168.
Hunt, L. and et.al., 2015. Nursing students' perspectives of the health and healthcare issues of
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Metzl, J. M. and Hansen, H., 2014. Structural competency: Theorizing a new medical
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Moriates, C. and et.al., 2015. Defining competencies for education in health care value:
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Pérez-Escamilla, R. and et.al., 2015. Impact of a community health workers–led structured
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Truong, M., Paradies, Y. and Priest, N., 2014. Interventions to improve cultural competency in
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Online
About, 2016. [Online]. Available through: <https://politicalinequality.org/about/>. [Accessed on
7th January 2016].
NHMRC's mission and functions, 2016. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about/nhmrcs-mission-and-functions>. [Accessed on 7th
January 2016].
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