Write a reflection journal (250-300 words) to outline what has been discovered about your professional practice, personal strengths and weaknesses, and additional resources that could be introduced in a given situation to influence optimal outcomes. Each week, a specific focus will be used in your reflection. Integrate leadership and inquiry into the current practice. Please make sure to address all areas in your writing.

Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal

I have discovered that nurses should provide culturally congruent healthcare and uphold human dignity. Culturally congruent care increases patients’ satisfaction levels because they feel that their beliefs are respected (Göl & Erkin, 2019). To promote culturally sensitive care, nurses should introspect to develop self-awareness about their beliefs, prejudices, and cultural practices (Göl & Erkin, 2019). Self-awareness will enable nurses to create a workplace environment that respects cultural differences among various patients. Cultural congruence enables holistic care and patient-centeredness (Göl & Erkin, 2019). Furthermore, it enables nurses to uphold the integrity of human dignity. As such, it improves the quality of healthcare services provided to diverse patient populations.

Self-evaluation revealed that I am open-minded. I am receptive to diverse opinions and new ideas from my colleagues and the people with whom I interact. I believe that I can learn from every person that I interact with. This has proved beneficial because I am usually inspired and motivated by the experiences of my colleagues and instructors. Furthermore, open-mindedness makes me embrace criticism from different people. This has enabled me to make pertinent changes and become a better version of myself. Furthermore, open-mindedness has enabled me to develop empathy for everyone I interact with. I believe that open-mindedness will promote cultural congruence because healthcare providers will be receptive to diverse beliefs and practices from their patients. Self-criticism is my weakness. This is undesirable because it can cause burnout and impede my productivity. I have learned to manage this by establishing my goals and celebrating both minor and major milestones.

Additional resources will enable nurse practitioners and interdisciplinary team members to achieve cultural sensitivity. For instance, resources should be allocated to facilitate language translation. This will eliminate the language barrier that impedes access to healthcare and the provision of culturally congruent services. Furthermore, adequate resource allocation will facilitate the training of members of the interdisciplinary team on the relevance of cultural congruence.

References

Göl, İ., & Erkin, Ö. (2019). Association between cultural intelligence and cultural sensitivity in nursing students: A cross-sectional descriptive study. Collegian, 26(4), 485–491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2018.12.007