Every day the nurses encounter the reality of providing the highest quality of health care to their patients. The challenge of delivering the services comes when the nurse has to adhere to the cultures and rituals of a particular community ( Leininger, 2011) . The story of Abby, a dying patient who is being taken care of by her daughter Mary, is actual proof of how culture interferes with the service delivery. Despite Abby being in modern society, her daughter Mary, a nurse by profession, ensures that her dying mother's care is according to her culture and traditions. As Mary ensures that her mother's healthcare reflects the customs of Indian people, she faces opposition from her family members. As a nurse, I believe that a person's culture is essential when it comes to providing healthcare. In my bid to provide desirable services, I can employ several strategies that can help me give the required services. In my care plan, I consider communication, treatment options, family roles in the process, education, barriers, and cultural responses as essential components of exemplary service delivery.
Communication and Treatment options
As a nurse in the event of providing quality healthcare, I have to consider communication strategies and treatment options available to the patient. When it comes to communication with my patients, I should consider the patient, primary caregivers, and her family. Just like Mary was communicating meaningfully with her family members and her mother, Abby, I would seek to understand the needs of the family members towards their patients ( Chapleski, 2005) . This act itself is applaudable because I will be prompted to meet to their requirements regardless of whether they have a stake in their culture and also create reliability and cohesion between myself, patient, and family members. When it comes to deciding on treatment options available one should whether to consider the traditional methods of treatment or modern methods of treatment. Mary made sure that her mother's treatment did align with her culture when Abby died. Mary did treat her body with a concoction of cedar, as the culture stated. The method that I can apply will depend on what the family members of my patient will demand.
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Education and Role of the Family
As a nurse, when I am dealing with my patient, it is essential to consider the kind of education that the patient and his family have. In the case of Abby, his family members seemed to have the modern form of education while Mary, the nurse in-charge, had both the traditional and modern knowledge. If perhaps the kind of school that my client has complied with his traditions, I will capitalize on it for the sake of providing quality service to him. Also, the family's suggestion plays a considerable role; one cannot contradict the minimum demands floated by the family. If the family insists that they feel I should do a particular thing, I will have no option but to do what they demand.
Spiritual Beliefs, Barriers, and Cultural Responses.
The spiritual beliefs of a patient affect how the service should be provided. Religious beliefs revolve around religion like Islamic, Hindu, and Christianity. As a nurse, I have to give healthcare based on the doctrine of the patient. A patient can suggest that their religion demands that certain rituals should be done to a patient, considering that fact I will adhere to the beliefs of the patient. Barriers affect service delivery. Mary was challenged by the conflict that her family members did pose. In my case, I know that a family, in some instances, can act as a barrier inpatient treatment. A family may have requirements detrimental to a patient; in my capacity as a nurse, it is essential to inform them why I cannot implement their ideas. Culture always affects the kind of treatment that a patient will get. I ought to ask the family members how they wish their patients to be treated. The best thing to do in such a situation is to respect and honor the patient's wishes and the family, depending on the community that one comes from.
References
Leininger, M. (2011). Culture care diversity and universality theory. Nursing .
Chapleski, E. E. (2005). Stories of Abby: An Ojibwa Journey. End-Of-Life Stories: Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries , 51.
