How Nurses Develop Personalized Care While Considering Cultural Beliefs and Values
Everyone deserves to receive personalized care when they require medical treatment, and the best nurses always strive to give each patient individualized attention. To develop the most personalized care plans possible, nurses must often work with patients and their families to address their needs. Cultural beliefs and values often factor into patient care plans as well and should also be considered when developing personalized care plans.
Formulating the care plan
When nurses study at a school like the University of Indianapolis to earn their Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) or other nursing degree, they receive thorough training on how to put together personalized care plans.
One of the first steps of creating a personalized care plan is to learn more about a patient’s current health condition. Not all conditions affect everyone the same way, and a knowledgeable nurse always looks at the extent of the condition and the specific symptoms that a patient has. The prescribed medications will also be reviewed by the nurse.
In addition to consulting with the patient, nurses often discuss the patients’ health history with family members to learn if there are any hereditary conditions that should be considered. These conditions may include certain types of cancer as well as genetic disorders, such as Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and Parkinson’s disease.
Nurses also usually consult with patients and their family members to learn about any previous adverse responses to treatment. This may include allergic reactions or other severe side effects to medications.
Additionally, family members play a major role in a patient’s end-of-life care. When a patient reaches the end of their life due to old age or a terminal health condition, nurses and doctors often consult with the patient and their family members to make important care decisions, such as whether to enter the patient into hospice care or issue a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order.
How cultural beliefs and values play into the process
When medical professionals formulate care plans, they must consider cultural sensitivities so as not to offend or undermine the wishes of patients and their families. In addition to culture based on ethnicity, certain religious beliefs can influence the type of care a patient should receive.
When nurses provide care, they may need to be more mindful about using certain terms that might be offensive to people of varying backgrounds. If they are unsure whether a term is offensive, a nurse may want to consult with other medical staff or do additional research to find the answer and any alternative terms that might be more suitable for the patient.
Certain medical treatments might also be forbidden in some cultures and religions, and nurses may need to work with doctors to find other care options that can still provide good outcomes. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses are prohibited from receiving blood transfusions because of their faith. Some religions and cultures also only allow patients to be treated by healthcare professionals who are of the same sex.
Patients who require hospital stays may have dietary restrictions due to cultural or religious beliefs. Nurses should be aware of patients who require kosher, Halal, or other types of specially prepared foods so that this can be relayed to meal prep staff.
Language barriers often come into play when nurses work with patients and family members who are from other countries. To work through these barriers, some medical facilities have on-site interpreters who are fluent in languages commonly spoken by members of local immigrant communities.
Medical interpreters can relay information to nurses using the correct medical terminology and explain a care plan in the given language using terms that are easy for patients and their family members to understand.
Nurses may also use translation services to interpret written materials that pertain to a patient’s personalized care plan. Translation services that other businesses use can also be helpful in medical settings, and some of these services even use localization methods to ensure that all translated material is culturally appropriate. Nurses have a wide set of skills, as they figured out how is the NCLEX scored or how does NCLEX scoring work.
A better healthcare community for all
Giving patients the most personalized care that is considerate of everyone’s values and beliefs has allowed more people to receive the level of attention they deserve. As the healthcare community continues to progress, more positive changes for patients are likely on the horizon.
