Sociology Assignment: Analyzing Challenges in Nursing and Elderly Care

This sociology assignment examines the multifaceted challenges faced by nurses in contemporary healthcare settings. The assignment delves into the difficulties nurses encounter when dealing with patients of varying ages, highlighting the need for sensitivity with children and patience with the elderly. It also addresses the impact of cultural diversity on nursing practice, emphasizing the language barriers and the need for specialized skills. Furthermore, the assignment explores the challenges posed by staff shortages and the influence of sociocultural and religious factors on the nurse-patient relationship, particularly concerning gender and patient preferences. The second part of the assignment discusses the care of the elderly population, contrasting contemporary practices with historical approaches, and highlighting the shift from family-centered care to institutionalized models, emphasizing the importance of traditional remedies and family support.

Running Head: SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY

Running Head: SOCIOLOGY
Table of Contents
Question 1........................................................................................................................................3
Question 2........................................................................................................................................4
References........................................................................................................................................5

Running Head: SOCIOLOGY
Question 1
Nurses are basic caretakers are basic in the providing the health facilities and concerning
about wellbeing of people belonging to different age, culture, race, gender and other parameters
similarly associated with it. Though nurses can bring the different communities together at times
it becomes difficult for them and they also face certain challenges such as defines below. In
terms of age nurses face the problem when dealing with different types of age, as for example
when dealing with child nurses need to be quite sensitive as children tends to fear a lot, whereas
while dealing with older people, nurses shall to be stubborn and shall deal with the patients with
care. Even after following all the process at times the situation becomes worse on part of nurse as
she cannot leave her duty and at the same time she is unable to console the patient with older age
in comparison to the patients of age 20-40 years (Banerjee, et al 2016).
Cultural diversity among patients is one of the issues, which are looked by nurses and it
tends to be challenging as not all nurses are well versed with language. It requires special
bonding and skills which all nurses may not have and hence, it tends to become a challenge.
Another significant challenge is faced by nurses when there is a shortage of staff while at work,
be it from patients or colleagues. Somewhere in the range of 2012 and 2014, work environment
savagery injury rates expanded for all social insurance work arrangements and about multiplied
for nurture associates and attendants, as indicated by information from the Occupational Health
Safety Network (Markey, Tilki & Taylor, 2018). Sociocultural and strict elements can likewise
influence nurses to showcase sentiments during care arrangement to opposite gender. For
example, in spite of the fact that the Holy Quran defines the sparing of a human with the sparing
everything being equal, direct skin contact with an outsider of the contrary sexual orientation is
taboo in Islam except if it is completely necessary. Thus, Muslim medical caretakers may

Running Head: SOCIOLOGY
encounter pressures and troubles in giving consideration to opposite gender patients. At times
patients discard from taking the treatment from opposite gender as they might feel uncomfortable
(Dlamini & Visser, 2017).
Question 2
Older Adult population is one of the concerns in today’s world as earlier they were
treated with ease and care. During our childhood, the elderly people are often grouped together,
once they are above the age of 65. Earlier older people in our society and community were not
sent to rehabilitation centers or old age home. Proper care was exercised right from their food
necessities to their wellbeing and entertainment. Also while growing up, much of the diseases
were treated through kitchen based spices such as turmeric and for severe diseases, they were
treated through naturopathy and homeopathy sessions. Care by family members and younger
generation was treated a better medicine rather than just consuming few tablets and lying on a
bed (Choi & Lee, 2018).

Running Head: SOCIOLOGY
References
Banerjee, S. C., Manna, R., Coyle, N., Shen, M. J., Pehrson, C., Zaider, T., ... & Bylund, C. L.
(2016). Oncology nurses' communication challenges with patients and families: a
qualitative study. Nurse education in practice, 16(1), 193-201.
Choi, J. H., & Lee, C. Y. (2018). Oral allergy syndrome. Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory
Disease, 6(2), 85-89.
Dlamini, B. C., & Visser, M. J. (2017). Challenges in nursing: The psychological needs of rural
area nurses in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Markey, K., Tilki, M., & Taylor, G. (2018). Understanding nurses’ concerns when caring for
patients from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(1-
2), e259-e268.