Nurses' Culture: Impact on Patient Care and Therapeutic Relationships

This discussion board post examines the impact of a nurse's culture on patient care, using a real-life scenario involving a patient who had undergone female genital cutting. The author reflects on how their own cultural beliefs and values influenced the care provided, and describes the steps taken to create a culturally sensitive therapeutic relationship. The post highlights the importance of cultural humility, critical reflection, and understanding the patient's background to ensure equitable healthcare delivery. It references relevant literature on cultural competence in nursing, emphasizing the need for nurses to be aware of their own cultural biases and how these can affect patient interactions. The author's experience underscores the importance of respecting patient rights and providing care that is both compassionate and culturally appropriate. This assignment is a valuable resource for nursing students seeking to understand and improve their cultural competence.

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.

NURSES’ CULTURE 3
Nurses can achieve Cultural competence can be achieved by engaging in critical reflection to
understand and accept their own beliefs, values and cultural heritage to understand how their
culture can influence clinical care. Since then, I have appreciated culture as a critical aspect of
nursing practice.

NURSES’ CULTURE 4
References
Douglas, M. K., Rosenkoetter, M., Pacquiao, D. F., Callister, L. C., Hattar-Pollara, M.,
Lauderdale, J., ... & Purnell, L. (2014). Guidelines for implementing culturally competent
nursing care. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 25(2), 109-121.
Jarvis, C. (2008). Physical examination & health assessment (5th Edition). St. Louis, Mo:
Saunders Elsevier.