Discuss strategies to provide care to patients who are from different cultures and may have different cultural beliefs. For example, what might the APN do if the patient refuses a high-quality, evidence-based treatment meant to cure the illness because of cultural beliefs? How can the APN respect cultural beliefs while still providing quality care? In what ways can the nurse do more than simply “do no harm?”

Cultural Competency in APNs

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) aim to offer quality healthcare without discriminating against any patient based on the patient’s cultural beliefs. Nurses should learn about the different cultures patients practice in their work location. Nurses should also understand why patients have certain beliefs and how they affect their treatment compliance (Červený et al., 2022). As such, patients whose culture is against the use of modern medicines will be non-compliant with pharmacological therapy leading to poor patient outcomes. Therefore, it is crucial to consider a patient culture when suggesting a treatment plan. After all, patients have a right to decline treatment that is against their culture. Nonetheless, nurses are trained on patients’ rights, such as their right to decline treatment. Every patient should feel that their rights are respected. Patients’ cultures determine their food and eating habits which nurses should consider. Patients whose treatment plan requires weight loss and dietary adjustments are given a meal plan that includes healthy food in their culture.

Nurses can do more than not harm patients by considering the views of cultural discrimination by different patient ethnic groups. Groups such as African Americans shun away from visiting hospitals due to the fear of ongoing racism (Hamed et al., 2022). Nurses should recognize language barriers and seek the assistance of translators to ensure effective communication between nurses and patients. Also, nursing leaders educate nurses on cultural competency. Leaders ensure policies. Notably, laws and regulations clearly outline penalties and consequences for nurses who discriminate against patients (Červený et al., 2022). Nurses can strive to treat a patient as an individual by considering their cultural beliefs. Although a patient’s treatment might be against their cultural belief, nurses should still offer adequate information on the treatment plan to give the patient a chance to make a decision.

References

Červený, M., Kratochvílová, I., Hellerová, V., & Tóthová, V. (2022). Methods of increasing cultural competence in nurses working in clinical practice: A scoping review of literature 2011-2021. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 936181. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.936181