Intercultural communication - Essay Example

Intercultural communication Affiliation: The nurse got a patient from Korean originthat was visiting the US for the first time and did not know how to speak English and the nurse had no Korean knowledge hence hindering communication. Non-verbal communicationThe nurse could have used non-verbal communication such as gestures trying to read and ask the patient what the problem was. Facial expressions would also have been helpful and especially if whatever the nurse was asking the patient did not agree with.

The strategy even though taking longer to get and pass the message would have been effective in the end to some extent (O’Toole, 2012, pp. 197). The downside to that strategy is making wrong diagnosis and especially on conditions with almost similar symptoms. PictorialThe use of pictorials is another strategy the nurse would have used. It is way better than gestures some of which may be unacceptable in the patient’s culture. The use of pictorials involves provision of empty charts and marker pens, or a board where the patient is to describe his ailment or symptoms using pictures such as that of the stomach of head among others (Behar, et al. 201, pp. 476).

The nurse will then point to various parts of the body to ask the questions and verify the symptoms. This will take longer as well. Cultural barriers to health care When the patients are unable to communicate effectively with the nurses or doctors, it means that diagnosis will be unable to be completed or will have numerous errors which may lead to more health problems with the patient. There are also other traditions which put restrictions on the type of healthcare worker they can have attending to them or the type of medication they can be provided with which hinders the treatment process as well as making the treatment process take unnecessarily longer in order to address the challenges (Srivastava, 2007, pp. 103). ReferencesBehar, S. et al. (2013, October).

Use of an Emergency Medical Pictorial Communication Book During Simulated Disaster Conditions. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 7(5): 475-480. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2013.86 O’Toole, G. (2012). Communication: Core Interpersonal Skills for Health Professionals. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences. Srivastava, R. (2007). The Healthcare Professionals Guide to Clinical Cultural Competence. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences.