Rockhampton Hospital: Aboriginal Patient Treatment Proposal Report

This report presents a proposal to address the inappropriate behavior of staff towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients at Rockhampton Base Hospital. The problem, identified through observations and patient complaints, centers on staff making fun of patients' English and a lack of effective communication due to interpreter issues. The proposed strategies include hiring more interpreters, penalizing insolent staff, training doctors and professionals in cultural sensitivity, developing a dedicated department for Aboriginal patients, and fostering stronger patient-provider relationships. The expected outcomes are improved quality of services and an increased patient rate, while the evaluation considers the financial implications of the strategies. The conclusion emphasizes the need for nurses to understand hospital policies, provide equal importance to all patients, and receive appropriate training to address cultural insensitivity and improve patient care.

A proposal to the management

Contents
a. Problem Statement...................................................................................................................1
b. Identification of Problem.........................................................................................................1
c. Proposed Strategies..................................................................................................................1
d. Expected Outcomes.................................................................................................................2
e. Evaluation of the Outcomes.....................................................................................................3
f. Conclusion................................................................................................................................4

a. Problem Statement
The staff of Rockhampton Base Hospital, Queensland showing inappropriate behaviour
towards patients of Aboriginal Community and people of Torres Islander descent. The staff
makes fun of their English and does not treat them properly that creates a cultural issue in the
hospital.
b. Identification of Problem
The problem was identified with observations and reviews of patients of Aboriginal
Community and Torres Islander descent. The rapid rising of complaints of these community
people embarked the cultural issue in the organisation. As a nurse, many patients complained and
communicated about the rude and inappropriate behaviour of staff in order to treat the
indigenous people. The staff makes fun of their language and does not address their problems
efficiently. Further, there are three interpretors and translators in the hospital, but they always
remain engaged in some other issues. Thus, it leads to the generation of huge cultural issues,
which impacts on the internal and external environment of the organisation.
c. Proposed Strategies
The strategies that help the management to cope up with the treatment by effectively
communicate with the people of Aboriginal Community and Torres Islander descent are
provided below: Hiring more interpretors: One way to improve the communication process in the
organisation is to hire more interpretors. It was identified that due to lack of interpretors,
Aboriginal people faced difficulties in order to communicate their problems to the doctor
efficiently. Even the doctor couldn't even understand what the patient tries to convey him.
Thus, by hiring more interpretors in the organisation, effective communication can be
developed which reduces the communication problem in the hospital. Further, staffs
should take initiatives to learn some of the basic words that can be used for
communication with Aboriginal Community. Penalise the insolent staffs: The management of hospital needs to improve its monitoring
and supervision on the staff working in the organisation. They should implement fines
and penalties policy, if the staff found to mistreat the aboriginal patient inappropriately.
The staff and workers needs to understand the suffering faced by the aboriginal patient
and guide him to the right doctor efficiently. By implementing fines and penalty policy,
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staffs and other workers will not make fun of patient of Aboriginal Community and
Torres Islander descent. When staffs have the fear that they have to pay for such act, then
they the rate of issues in these aspect will get reduced.
 Train Doctors and other professionals: By providing effective language training to
doctors, the issue of communication can be reduced in the organisation. Doctors, faced
difficulties in the organisation regarding communicate and understand the problem of
patient of aboriginal community. It is important that all the professional or care workers
understand their policies and law for the protection of patients. They should treat all
patients equally and proper respect should be provided.
 Developing new department: One of the problem identified is in relation with language
and improper behaviour that is shown by care providers. When hospital develop an
department in which they treat only Aboriginal Community in which there are doctors
and care providers from same community, then it will be favourable enough to overcome
the problem in effective manner. When they will get services provided people from their
own community, then it will improve the quality of services and the issue raised will also
be also be solved.
 Developing relationship: It is one of the main responsibility of professionals and care
providers to understand the requirement of patients and provide them with proper
services or care. It is important that care providers take their roles and responsibilities
effectively. They have to develop strong bond with their patients so that they share the
issues that are faced by them. The trust is lost when there is no proper respect given to
patients. They develop negative impact in their mind for the service providers and the
quality of services will not be attained.
d. Expected Outcomes
There are different type of benefit that will be attained by the hospital when above given
strategies will be followed. In this context, below given are the outcomes:
 Improved quality of services: Within hospitals, main aim it to make sure that patients are
able to overcome health related issues faced by them. When above given strategies will
be followed, then it will help in developing strong relationship with patient and this
eventually improves the quality of services delivered. Patients feel demoralised when
care providers make fun of them due to language or any other cause. However, care
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providers have strict policies, then they will put on extra effort to understand the
requirement and take appropriate steps.
 Increased rate of patients: The type of issue that is faced at Rockhampton may not be
first of its kind. With word of mouth, the goodwill of the hospital negatively affects and
people do not prefer to visit such hospitals. However, there are new policies developed
and department that only operates Aboriginal Community, then it will positively affect
the perception of people and the rate of people visiting from this community will also
increase. There are other communities as well but the rate of problems with this
community is high. But with the help of developing department for this community with
nurses and professionals will be high beneficial for the hospital and reducing the rate of
problems. Apart from this the understanding that are carried by nurses and other care
providers will also change towards patients in positive manner.
e. Evaluation of the Outcomes
There are both positive and negative impact when the strategies that are implemented. In
order to provide training and starting up new department, it requires to have financial support.
More specifically, it consist of recruitment and selection process, for training and development,
etc. It is important that high investment is made by the firm so that they will be able to
implement the plan. Nurses will be able to perform their roles efficiently and seriously. Apart
from this, it is essential that information is conveyed to nurses regarding the policy that are
developed. It requires to have proper support from their side and the type of suggestions that are
provided from the side of nurses can also be determined regarding the steps taken. Patient will be
able to convey their issues when there are interpreters who can translate the information. When
the gap between patients and nurses are reduced, then it becomes favourable enough to develop
trust. Further, the requirement for making use of the English can also be reduced. However, there
is one of the issue that nurses will face and that is demotivation, when they will be fined in case
they are found making fun of patients. This may also affect the work but when they understand
the implementation of policy positively, then with time the support of nurses and other care
providers will be high. With proper information provided, nurses can put on their efforts and
contribute for the development.
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f. Conclusion
From the above report, it can be concluded nurses have direct interaction with patients.
They need to have strong interaction so that the issues or the problems that are faced by them can
be identified. Nurses require to understand the policies and the law within the hospital and
provide equal importance to patients. It is important that before providing training to nurses,
proper analysis to be made so that the areas in which they face problem can be identified. This
way, nurses will get benefited with the training provided and the determined goals can be
attained.
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