Culturally Competent Care For African Americans
Culturally competent care refers to treatment that considers the various populations and cultural influences, such as language, behavioral patterns, values, and actions, that can impact health and health services. African Americans are one of America’s most critical racial groups. African American families are generally larger and younger than White families. The economic situation for African Americans is dynamic and diverse, with significant gains in several areas. As with other Americans, the disparity between rich and poor African Americans has grown in recent years. African Americans have a high prevalence of medical conditions, which has severe implications for their health and economic well-being. African Americans, like many other ethnic groups, are less likely to be insured and have less access to an affordable healthcare system.
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They tend to live sedentary lifestyles, have poor eating habits, lack physical exercise, and are at a higher risk for hypertension, stroke, and heart disease due to a lack of access to healthcare and low income. African Americans have chronic illnesses like stroke, hypertension, sickle cell anemia, and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a lifelong, troubling chronic illness that affects 14.7% of African Americans (Clark et al., 2018). Most African Americans suffer from health inequalities, which contribute to insufficient access to community care, underutilization of health care programs, and insufficient health insurance coverage. Based on the readings, viewing Module 6: Lecture Materials & Resources page, and my personal experience, I would suggest the following strategies for encouraging culturally competent care of African Americans: continued education, medical screenings, and nutritional advice.
To help reduce morbidity and mortality rates, African Americans require ongoing education, healthcare screenings, and nutritional counseling. Many African Americans cook by frying, barbecuing, and using gravy and sauces.
Provide cultural skills, knowledge, and awareness training services.
Before providing care to a culturally competent group, one must assess the role of cultural influences in one’s life. Be aware of the cultural factors that influence nursing care in the group. For example, family, unity, and cooperation are all essential factors in African American cultures. It is undeniablessentialnt that health professionals learn about African Americans’ ideas, customs, and social behaviors. Understanding their way of life and culture will enable them to maximize their potential in healthcare delivery.
Coordination of Traditional Healers
When providing care to this population, it is critical to remember that many African Americans continue to use these healing practices and home remedies to treat their illnessesSelf-management education and interventions must be closely linked to the population’s cultural beliefs and values to be effective. When working with a culturally competent patient, it is essential first to establish rapport with the patient. Ascertain that the patient understands their health condition, evaluates their understanding of the disease process, and listens to the. This will help to improve communication and establish trust. African Americans are deeply religious and continue to rely on folk healings, root doctors, voodoo, herbalists, spiritualists, and conjure.
Include members of the community and family members in healthcare decision-making processes.
Patients and families should always be included in the decision-making process, and the patient’s wishes and desires for the necessary treatment should be respected based on their cultural decisions/beliefs.
You are building trust, and rapport is an excellent way to provide culturally competent care.
Attending to culturally diverse African Americans necessitates a higher level of trust (Ritter & Graham, 2017). Healthcare providers should use caution when speaking, take appropriate precautions, and seek out translators if necessary.
To summarize, when caring for African Americans, it is best to establish a trusting relationship and demonstrate that you want to be involved in their care while respecting their desires and beliefs, as well as herbal healing, faith healing, and spiritual healing techniques. As a culturally competent nurse, you will build relationships and express sincerity and care, which will go a long way toward establishing the trust required to provide comprehensive care and education to a community that frequently has limited access to healthcare, particularly in urban areas. To improve your care, you must have a genuine desire to provide quality care that African Americans will perceive positively.
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References
Clark, J. L., Phoenix, S., Bilbrey, A. C., McManis, T., Escal, K. A., Arulanantham, R., … & Ghatak, R. (2018). Cultural competency in dementia care: An African American case study. Clinical gerontologist, 41(3), 255-260.
Ritter, L. A., & Graham, D. H. (2017). Multicultural health. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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Question 
Based on the readings, viewing Module 6: Lecture Materials & Resources page, and your own experience,
Culturally Competent Care For African Americans
what strategies would you recommend to encourage culturally competent care of African Americans?