Diversity and Health Assessments: How to Create an Inclusive Workplace

Diversity and Health Assessments

BK is a 16-year-old Caucasian female who is brought in with her grandmother. BK’s grandmother is worried that her granddaughter is using drugs due to her strange behaviors and wants BK tested. BK is not on any medication, and she is obese and does not make eye contact when you enter the room.

Taking a good history of BK is essential. The critical basis of true history is good communication between the patient and the doctor. Effective communication with the patients and creating a safe environment for the patient to communicate openly is essential. In order to obtain an accurate account of what is troubling BK, I have to listen to her with understanding and sympathy to the perception of her problem. I would listen to BK’s story and let her feel safe and comfortable to confide in me. I would then use open questions and leading that will enable me to make a diagnosis (Tidy, 2019). I would also use facial expression, verbal fluency, and body language to help give a clue to what is troubling BK or provide a suggestion of other areas in which the history might need to proceed.

I would use different types of questions in order to determine what is troubling BK. I would use open questions to ask BK about her family background and her lifestyle (Tidy, 2019). I would gently ask about her family history and, additionally, ask about her general lifestyle, including her daily activities and meals. I would use questions with options in asking about what she feels. I would gently ask how she feels about her mother’s addiction and incrassation and let her feel safe and comfortable to express herself. I would also use leading questions to determine if she was using drugs and the reason for her changes in behavior. Asking the patient such questions will be done carefully, gently, and patiently to create a safe environment where the patient will be free to communicate openly.

The five targeted questions I would ask BK include;

1. Miss BK, could we talk about how you are feeling about your weight today?

2. I would like to know about your eating habits. What kinds of foods and drinks do you take on a typical day?

3. Do you only eat when you are hungry, or do you eat for other reasons as well, such as feeling bored or stressed?

4. How do you feel about your mother`s incarceration, and what is your relationship with your grandmother?

5. Are you using any drugs?

Communicating with patients from different cultures may be challenging when gathering patient information. As a nurse, it is essential to be aware of the cultural differences between yourself and your patients (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2019). Being aware will help avoid conflict when gathering patient information or during diagnosis. Talk to patients using interactive communication and make them feel that their own agenda a valued (CDC, 2015). I also have to be aware that I would not understand every group's health benefits; therefore, I would encourage the patient to express how much or how little their culture has to do with the condition. Where it is difficult to communicate with a patient due to language barriers, it is essential to use a professional interpreter (CDC, 2015). I would also focus on the patient and listen to how he/she talks about his/her culture and health so as to avoid any conflicts during diagnosis. It is important to try to understand that not all cultures are the same. Therefore, every patient's culture has to be respected and valued hence guiding each patient appropriately.

References

CDC. (2015). Cultural Competence . Retrieved from https://npin.cdc.gov/pages/cultural- competence

Tidy, D. C. (2019, January 16). History Taking. Retrieved from https://patient.info/doctor/history-taking

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2019). THINK CULTURAL HEALTH: A physician’s practical guide to culturally competent care . Retrieved from https://cccm.thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/