Theory for Vulnerable Population, Essay Example

Introduction

Prenatal care and treatment is critical to the health and wellbeing of expectant mothers and their unborn children. An appropriate theoretical approach to examine this problem is the cultural sensitivity/diversity framework because it supports the provision of appropriate prenatal care across different population groups. Cultural boundaries should not matter in the context of prenatal care because this type of care is critical to the proper growth and development of unborn children. This theoretical perspective was selected because it offers a greater understanding of the challenges of prenatal care that are based upon specific cultural differences.

Analysis

The application of a cultural sensitivity/diversity approach to prenatal care is aligned with the need to establish culturally competent care across all population groups. This is an essential component of nursing practice and supports the belief that nurses must transcend culture and recognize the needs of their patients, regardless of their backgrounds, in order to provide effective and meaningful culturally competent care (Douglas et.al, 2009). From this perspective, it is necessary to educate nurses regarding the importance of equal care and treatment for patients from all cultures to minimize disparities and to overcome challenges (Douglas et.al, 2009). These contributions are important because they support the ongoing growth and experience levels of nurses in providing prenatal care to all populations by using cultural identifiers, such as language and customs to enhance comfort and emphasize the need for consistent prenatal care (Douglas et.al 2009).

Conclusion

Cultural sensitivity and diversity in prenatal care supports the development of programmatic efforts to support expanded patient care protocols for expectant mothers that include such factors as language and customs. These efforts are likely to minimize disparities and support educational opportunities for nurses so that they are able to provide culturally competent and relevant care at all times.

References

Douglas, M.K., Pierce, J.U., Rosenkoetter, M., Callister, L.C., Hattar-Pollara, M., Lauderdale, J., Miller, J., Milstead, J., Nardi, D.A., and Pacquiao, D. (2009). Standards of practice for culturally competent nursing care: a request for comments. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 20(3), 257-269.