Culture and Care Model, Essay Example

Introduction

Madeline Leininger’s Culture Care Theory supports caring in the nursing practice environment on many levels and engages nurses in the practice of “culturally congruent nursing care” to recognize diversity and specific needs across different cultural groups (Nursing Theory, 2013). Advanced practice nurses must provide an optimal care plan that supports all patients, regardless of culture (Nursing Theory, 2013). These factors also play a role in enabling Native American patients to obtain high quality care and treatment that promotes greater quality of life (Nursing Theory, 2013). People of this culture require a specific set of standards and ideals of care that will support and enhance their growth; however, this requires nurses to recognize their primary health concerns and to demonstrate compassion and understanding for their needs (Simonds et.al, 2011). These factors support the continued growth and development of new perspectives to encourage positive interactions between advanced practice nurses and Native American patients.

Analysis

Some of the most common health concerns for Native American patients include cancer, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, alcohol abuse, suicide, and mental health issues (NLM, 2013). These conditions require specific attention to care and treatment that will enable Native Americans to obtain proper attention to improve their health (NLM, 2013). However, access to care is a significant concern, and barriers to access include isolation in the reservation environment, in addition to a significant preference for traditional healing methods rather than using the healthcare system (NLM, 2013). These findings suggest that many Native Americans lack access to high quality care and treatment due to existing barriers that are difficult to overcome (NLM, 2013).

The lack of access to care is a critical missing component in the ability to provide members of this patient population with high quality care and treatment that will support their needs effectively. This requires a culture of care using Leininger’s theory in order to engage patients in obtaining care that will enhance their quality of life and to reduce health disparities within this population (CDC, 2013). These disparities limit the ability of Native Americans to obtain high quality access to care, due in large part to disparities such as inadequate prenatal and child care that contributes to a high infant death rate, high rates of smoking and alcohol use/abuse, high rates of poverty, and limited access to cancer screenings (CDC, 2013). Each of these factors contributes to a significant lack of focus on this population and their specific needs. Therefore, advanced practice nurses must be able to bridge these gaps and provide high quality care and treatment to patients using existing models in order to achieve the desired treatment outcomes (CDC, 2013). When healthcare access is improved and patients recognize that nurses better understand their way of life, Native Americans are more likely to respond favorably to care and treatment.

Conclusion

Native Americans face significant health concerns and disparities as a result of limited access to high quality care and treatment in clinical settings. Bridging these gaps is essential for advanced practice nurses and provides a basis for exploring new insights regarding cultural preferences. These issues require the integration of Leininger’s Culture Care Theory so that nurses are able to alleviate some of the misunderstandings or misconceptions that exist regarding quality of care for patients. These factors are essential to the discovery of new techniques and strategies to improve Native Americans’ comfort level with the healthcare system and its potential benefits in supporting a greater quality of life for these patients over time.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). American Indian & Alaska Native populations. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/populations/REMP/aian.html

National Library of Medicine (2013). American Indian Health. Retrieved from http://americanindianhealth.nlm.nih.gov/people.html

Nursing Theory (2013). Leininger’s Culture Care Theory. Retrieved from http://nursing-theory.org/theories-and-models/leininger-culture-care-theory.php

Simonds, V. W., Christopher, S., Sequist, T. D., Colditz, G. A., & Rudd, R. E. (2011). Exploring patient-provider interactions in a Native American community. Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 22(3), 836-852.