Discussion Post: Multicultural Patient Education, Illiteracy & Effective Communication
Culture is the characteristics and shared ideas of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors by a group of people (Nielsen-Bohlman et al., 2004). Patients' belief could affect their health care decision (Falvo, 2011). Cultural misunderstanding between patients and providers contributes to patient dissatisfaction and poor quality of care. Cultural competence is the ability to understand and interact with patients from different cultures. To provide patient education regarding cultural competence, the nurses should understand patients' culture including language, family, beliefs, and cultural differences.
Language includes low health literacy and limited English proficiency. The nurses should offer an interpreter to break any communication barriers and provide education material at a sixth-grade or lower reading level. Family members play vital roles in patient education including contribution to decision-making, following treatment recommendations, and quality of care. The health care professionals should be aware of the patient's family members who could affect patient care. The nurses should include family members during patient education. So that, family members could understand patients' conditions and cooperate with the treatment regimen.
Overall, health care professionals should separate their own cultural beliefs so they could tailor with patients' cultures. It could make them to better understand patients' culture in order to provide high-quality health care
• Discuss a patient of another culture. How can the health care professional communicate in presenting patient education? Consider language, family, cultural differences, and method of communication.
The response must include a reference list. One-inch margins, double-space, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font and APA style of writing and citations.