Standards of Practice for Culturally Competent Nursing Care, Coursework Example

Introduction

Communication in any nursing-based practice environment requires an understanding of the dynamics of the situation and the people who are involved, along with opportunities to improve upon existing information sharing in a positive manner. Nurses must be able to demonstrate that they are able to communicate effectively not only with other nurses but with other teams as well as patients. These tools must reflect the importance of understanding the different types of personalities that exist within the team environment and to be proactive in addressing the issues that are most relevant to the team at any given point in time. Nurses must be able to express themselves in a professional manner and to achieve the desired results, while also considering the manner in which they relate to each other on a cultural level. Cultural sensitivity and knowledge must serve as the key criteria in the development of approaches to improve cultural competence with respect to pharmacological needs. The following discussion will address these needs in greater detail and will address the importance of evaluating patient needs with respect to cultural competence and communication in order to achieve the desired results in administering medications effectively at all times.

Body

The management of pharmacological agents requires nurses to be able to communicate with patients from a variety of cultures and to express patient care needs effectively at all times. This encourages the growth of the practice environment and identifies the presence of a dominant culture in the process (Kirmayer, 2012). Pharmacological principles must also include cultural diversity in order to provide explanations for any type of confusion that might occur with respect to prescription medications (Kirmayer, 2012). Pharmacological practice standards must convey the importance of cultural competence because nurses who administer medications must recognize when patients might be concerned regarding medications in order to manage these concerns effectively (Douglas et.al, 2011). One strategy to consider is to look at other employees and patients face to face when speaking with them in order to convey full attention and focus on the individual. In addition, communication must be professional without any type of anger or frustration, particularly with patients, and words must be clearly spoken and ideas must be concise in nature in order to get one’s point across effectively. In the context of pharmacological principles, these communication strategies must convey the importance of full disclosure in regards to medication administration and possible side effects, as well as full attention to all required protocols and regulatory requirements.

Nurses must always be able to reflect upon their skills and strengths in an effort to provide exemplary care and treatment at all times and to be responsive to the needs of patients under a variety of conditions, many of which are complex and stressful (Purnell et.al, 2011). Nurses must be able to actively communicate with patients at all levels and aim to support new ideas that will encourage the development of communication to impact patients and their treatment in a manner that will have a positive impact on their wellbeing (Purnell et.al, 2011). Cultural needs and expectations must be clearly defined and nurses should be aware of any limitations regarding medication that might exist that could impact the treatment that they provide to their patients. When specific cultural differences are clearly defined, it is important to ensure that patient safety is achieved through these strategies through careful attention and focus to medication needs and potential complications.

For nurses, communication skills also provide a basis for improving nursing satisfaction and in supporting a framework that will have a lasting impact on the team as a whole, while also influencing the work environment in a positive manner (Twigg & McCullough, 2014). This is likely to translate effectively into medication administration and will enhance the delivery of care in a manner that is more consistent and appropriate for the nursing practice team (Twigg & McCullough, 2014). Nurses must be content with their own skillsets and work to improve upon these tools on a continuous basis, and this will have a positive impact on the team as a whole, as well as the care that they provide to their patients (Twigg & McCullough, 2014). Most importantly, nurses must be able to provide a level of care and treatment that is consistent with ethically responsible and safe pharmacological practices to limit any possible risk and harm to patients (Twigg & McCullough, 2014). It is important for nurses to identify areas where they will have a positive influence on patients and the pharmacological process and to identify methods of advancing the practice environment through improvements in communication and knowledge management to promote a cohesive team setting (Twigg & McCullough, 2014).

Nurses must learn from the opportunities that are available through exposure to different cultures and seek out methods of recognizing how to improve their interactions with patients through competence in this area (Weech-Maldonado et.al, 2012). This will enable nurses to minimize any disparities that might exist and to be effective in addressing patient care needs effectively and consistently to improve medication administration and reduce the risk of errors that could cause side effects or other complications for patients (Weech-Maldonado et.al, 2012). Nurses must be able to learn from each experience and to adapt in a successful manner in order to produce a desirable set of outcomes that will facilitate new and interesting means of facilitating patient care and delivery on a continuous basis (Weech-Maldonado et.al, 2012). Nurses must be prepared to manage patients’ pharmacological needs with their ability to demonstrate high level critical thinking skills that coincide with regulatory and protocol requirements, as well as dosage needs (Chang et.al, 2011). Nurses must demonstrate a high level of competence with their skills and provide opportunities to achieve growth and satisfaction within the workplace environment that will enhance the delivery of medications to patients on a routine basis (Chang et.al, 2011). They must be able to utilize the appropriate knowledge and resources in order to facilitate medication needs while minimizing errors and emphasizing the importance of patient safety at all times to improve quality of life (Chang et.al, 2011). Nurses must also be responsible in all areas of medication administration and delivery so that patients are not put in any situation that involves unnecessary risk or potential harm (Chang et.al, 2011).

Conclusion

Nurses must possess strong knowledge and an effective understanding of cultural competence in order to achieve the desired outcomes with respect to medication administration in order to minimize errors in delivery that could pose risks to patients. Therefore, nurse communication must be consistent and effective in addressing patients from a variety of cultural backgrounds, along with managing the demands of the nursing work environment in a positive manner. This process will enable nurses to respond to patient needs on a timely basis, provide information to patients regarding medications clearly and concisely, and address patient care needs without delays. This process requires astute cultural competence, as well as an awareness of the steps that are required to ensure that patients receive high quality care and treatment that will promote recovery and strength for patients and have a lasting impact on the healthcare organization as a whole. From a personal perspective, a nurse must recognize the balance that is necessary to administer medications to patients of different cultures and to identify any limitations that could impact the practice environment by utilizing clear communication strategies in the process.

References

Chang, M. J., Chang, Y. J., Kuo, S. H., Yang, Y. H., & Chou, F. H. (2011). Relationships between critical thinking ability and nursing competence in clinical nurses. Journal of clinical nursing, 20(21?22), 3224-3232.

Douglas, M. K., Pierce, J. U., Rosenkoetter, M., Pacquiao, D., Callister, L. C., Hattar-Pollara, M., … & Purnell, L. (2011). Standards of practice for culturally competent nursing care: 2011 update. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 22(4), 317.

Kirmayer, L. (2012). Rethinking cultural competence. Transcultural Psychiatry, 49(2), 149.

Purnell, L., Davidhizar, R. E., Giger, J. N., Strickland, O. L., Fishman, D., & Allison, D. M. (2011). A guide to developing a culturally competent organization. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 22(1), 7-14.

Twigg, D., & McCullough, K. (2014). Nurse retention: a review of strategies to create and enhance positive practice environments in clinical settings. International journal of nursing studies, 51(1), 85-92.

Weech-Maldonado, R., Elliott, M. N., Pradhan, R., Schiller, C., Hall, A., & Hays, R. D. (2012). Can hospital cultural competency reduce disparities in patient experiences with care?. Medical care, 50, S48.