Health, Culture, and Identity

Health, Culture, and Identity

What is the issue from a cultural perspective?

Culturally, Indian males are the main decision-makers. Its patriarchal structure expects the sons and husbands to make key decisions and protect other family members (Sonawat, 2001). In this case, the nurse recognizes the importance of consulting the patient’s husband, who should decide to administer an epidural. Respecting cultural aspects that may improve patient outcomes is critical in healthcare delivery. While this cultural importance is slowly fading away, it remains significant for some individuals.

Identify the 4C’s of culture in this case study (The 4C’s of Culture)

The 4Cs of culture include call, cause, cope, and concern (Putsch & Joyce, 1990). The first C, call, allows a healthcare provider to understand the patient’s problem perception. It is important to ask for the patient’s point of view. This allows the provider to calmly alert a patient about the causes of perceived or identified hindrances. In this case, the nurse did not directly ask for Amiya Nidhi’s perspective on the epidural (Case Studies, 2019). Instead, she overheard a conversation between the patient and her support person Marala. The patient expressed the requirement for her husband to approve the epidural. From this conversation, the nurse understood the cultural backing of the patient’s epidural decline. In addition, this information also provided a cause for the patient’s refusal of the epidural. The patient’s husband’s lack of approval of the epidural was the only hindrance to successful delivery. In this case, the third C, cope, does not apply since childbirth was not managed at all at the patient’s home. If it were, the case study does not mention this. The fourth C, concern, allows the health provider to understand issues regarding the condition that worries the patient most. In this case, the only concerns were cultural aspects that required the husband to decide regarding treatment.

What would you have done differently? Why?

I would have spoken to the patient regarding her feelings about the epidural before seeking permission from the husband. This approach would have shown high regard for the patient’s opinion. Speaking to the patient would have offered an opportunity for the nurse to understand if the husband had any cultural reservations that would hinder the authorization of the epidural. With this information, the healthcare provider would be sure about how to approach the patient’s husband best. The approach would have fulfilled all the 4Cs of culture in this situation.

What responsibilities do healthcare providers have in these situations?

Healthcare providers’ greatest responsibility is to communicate empathetically, effectively, and reasonably. Seeking information regarding patients’ cultural backgrounds requires strong communication skills (Brooks, Manias, & Bloomer, 2019). This understanding allows the providers to understand the 4Cs of culture and guide the patient into an improved perspective without undermining their own. Communication provides a clear patient background allowing the provider to chart the most ideal method of getting the patient and their family members to agree to the treatment plan. In addition, the nurses and physicians obtain information regarding the options of treatment that the patient perceives as effective. Through indirect questioning, it is possible to reach out to patients who are reluctant to answer questions directly. Such patients use illustrations and examples as explanations. Thus, keenness is important in identifying such illustrations and asking questions that assist with interpretation. Therefore, communication with the patient and family members remains critical in such contexts.

References

Brooks, L. A., Manias, E., & Bloomer, M. J. (2019). Culturally sensitive communication in healthcare: A concept analysis. Collegian, 26(3), 383-391.

Case Studies. (2019). Retrieved from Understanding Cultural Diversity in Healthcare: https://www.ggalanti.org/case-studies-field-reports/

Putsch, R. W., & Joyce, M. (1990). Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations (3 ed.). Boston: Butterworths.

Sonawat, R. (2001). Understanding Families in India: A Reflection of Societal Changes. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 17(2).

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Health, Culture, and Identity

Case Assignment

Review the brief case study below (adopted from Understanding Cultural Diversity in Healthcare, 2019):

Amiya Nidhi was a young woman in her twenties who had recently immigrated to the United States from India. She was in the hospital to give birth. Her support person was her sister, Marala. Marala kept telling her to get an epidural, but Amiya said that even though she would like one, she could not get one; her husband would not allow it. Cindy, her nurse, overheard the conversation. Having learned that husbands are the authority figure in the traditional Indian household, she went to speak with Mr. Nidhi. She explained why an epidural would be advisable. She said that he seemed pleased that she came to him about it. He said he would think about it, and let her know.

Write a 2-page paper (page count does not include title or reference pages) that addresses the following: