Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care - Essay Example

The passive approach is necessary because of the role of culture as an integral factor in people’s quality of life and as well as a barrier to nursing care. Even though some cultural practices undermine the provision of care, members of the society are informed of the benefits of culture to their well-being and a contrary approach may be a threat to their perspective on health care. A tolerant approach with understanding and persuasion will therefore offer Mrs. Nasser, who has a cultural reason against the physical examination, an opportunity to consider alternative approaches to testing the patient towards efficient treatment. Persuasion can also help in establishing the need for examination towards effective treatment (Andrews and Boyle, 2008; Kulwicki, 2013).

Culturally congruent strategies that may be effective in addressing Mrs. Nasser’s needs

Strategies towards cultural competence identify congruency towards meeting Mrs. Nasser’s needs to preserve her cultural orientation and cure her ill daughter. Cultural awareness is one of the culturally congruent strategies that may be effective in resolving the issues towards the needs and being informed of the sensitivity to young girls’ virginity in the Arab culture is an example that could help the nurse in handling the situation by informing the nurse of a potential obstacle to care. It involves being informed of a society’s cultural constructs for a suitable approach to providing care to culturally sensitive clients. Cultural awareness would inform the nurse of the negative opinion towards physical examination of young girls’ genitals and ensure a less controversial approach. The nurse could similarly be informed of society’s sensitivity towards young girls’ virginity and explain the fact that examination by a female nurse would not threaten the cultural perspective. Establishing a set of strategies toward cultural cohesion is another culturally congruent strategy that may be effective in addressing the client’s needs. This strategy equips a nurse with alternative approaches to integrate the client’s culture with necessary nursing practices towards meeting the needs (Andrews and Boyle, 2008; Dreachslin, Gilbert, and Malone, 2012). This strategy can be developed from a nurse’s experience with Nasser’s culture and through constructs of cultural competence approach such as “cultural knowledge, cultural skill, cultural encounters, and cultural desire” (Votroubek and Tobacco, 2010, p. 579). Cultural sensitivity and intelligence, from the competencies, would also help the nurse in selecting available strategies for managing Mrs. Nasser’s cultural fears and agreeing on a suitable approach to testing the girl. In applying cultural sensitivity, for example, the nurse should understand the Arab culture’s sensitivity to young girls’ virginity and the extent to which the society can sacrifice to protect the cultural observation apply to incorporate this in building Nasser’s confidence that her daughter’s virginity would not be compromised (Votroubek and Tobacco, 2010).

Ensuring that Mrs. Nasser’s concerns are addressed and Samia receives appropriate care

The nurse can ensure that Nasser’s concerns are addressed and Samia receives appropriate care by understanding the involved cultural barrier to the proposed care approach, identifying the need for an effective and efficient approach to treatment, and allowing Mrs. Nasser to deliberate on the best approach to Samia’s care (Andrews and Boyle, 2008). Application of Maslow’s need theory from a cultural perspective would further facilitate an understanding between the nurse and Nasser by exploring the extent of the need for care within the cultural constructs (Matusiak, 2012).

Response to Xavier’s post

The post is comprehensive in its response to the questions but I believe that it ought to have been tactical to meet the extremely sensitive scope of the case. The role of the nurse to ensure that patients receive care and the conflicting role of culture as a barrier and as manifested through Mrs. Nasser means that a persuasive rather than informative approach to Nasser’s request is necessary. Mrs. Nasser’s further position that even the female nurse on duty would not examine her daughter identifies the intensity of the cultural barrier and this means that the nurse must be tolerant and persuasive, with a cultural approach to ensure a response that will lead to the patient’s effective treatment. I also hold the opinion that even though your offered strategy for addressing Mrs. Nasser’s needs is culturally sensitive, it is not effective in meeting the needs that are not only cultural but also medical (Andrews and Boyle, 2008).

Avoiding the discussions, especially when the physical examination is contentious would undermine the need for the girl’s well-being. Understanding Nasser’s culture and strategies for incorporating care measures into the culture would therefore be a more effective approach. I however concur with your proactive approach to ensuring that the needs are addressed, though cultural sensitivity should be incorporated to avoid rebellion that could hinder the girl’s treatment. This is because Mrs. Nasser has shown her strong belief in culture and forcing her into a nursing practice that contradicts her culture may compromise the nurse’s intended role (Andrews and Boyle, 2008).