Professional Communication Cultural Sensitive

Professional communication cultural sensitive
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Introduction
The case for culturally competent nurses has grown over time, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are communities that often suffer from inadequate health care provision. Comprehensive healthcare services require culturally sensitive healthcare practitioners to focus on cultural safety of minorities. The culturally competence standards inform the public and nursing profession on what is expected, and now more than ever before nurses consider the human rights. A model of care that integrates, the cultural, physical and spiritual wellbeing is a more holistic approach. The Aboriginals are unlikely to be proficient, highlighting the need to have accredited interpreters when dealing with members of the community.
The Aboriginal people in Australian are underserved, and health promotion strategies have failed to close the gap with other people. There is a need to appreciate the uniqueness of the Aboriginal culture, while also emphasizing community empowerment and capacity building. Hence, cultural appropriate healthcare provision would promote the health of the members of the Aboriginal community, especially when focusing on mental healthcare that has often been neglected. This paper highlights the need for professional communication and cultural sensitivity when providing health care to the Aboriginal people of Australia.
Summary of Article
Abbott et al (2014) sought to understand the best strategies for general practitioners (GP), to work effectively with the Aboriginal people. The authors interviewed both cultural mentors and health workers, and the implications of the study can be applied to other health practitioners including nurses. The results of the study highlighted that cultural sensitivity, effective communication skills and the need to build trust with the Aboriginal people. As such, being culturally aware is necessary to undertake health interventions (Abbott et al., 2014). The authors identified respectful attitudes and knowledge on the cultural, medical and system factors, and where possible relying on the support of culturally competent practices (Abbott et al., 2014).
Application to Practice
Cultural sensitivity and taking into account the settings and impact of culture on beliefs is necessary for nursing interventions undertaken to improve the well-being of Aboriginal people. This is related to cultural competence whereby professional behaviors and clinical skills are necessary as health providers integrate the beliefs, perceptions and cultural values (DeNisco & Barker, 2012). As such, when the people are brought together, it is easier to identify the most effective strategies. At the same time, the family members and friends are likely to have a positive impact if they are empowered to make decisions. On one hand, people have the capacity to make decisions that would change their lives by making changes in their environment. However, the Aboriginal patients might find it hard to integrate elements of conventional medicine.
Critical reflection on a nurse’s own beliefs, values, culture and awareness affects their ability to provide culturally competent care. It is expecte...