A relational inquiry is utilized in healthcare practice to enable healthcare professionals to comprehend varying healthcare situations. It is an approach that guides individuals working in healthcare to address specific situations that require critical thinking skills, clinical reasoning and the application of appropriate theories. Cultural considerations in healthcare are paramount, with healthcare professionals being expected to respect a patient's cultural beliefs. Young & Paterson (2017) however, assert the importance of ensuring that these cultural considerations are within the context of healthcare policies. Relational inquiry ensures that the needs of a patient are addressed, despite their cultural background and beliefs. In this journal entry, a provided scenario addressing relational inquiry will be analyzed, and evidence of clinical reasoning in care provision is provided.
Listening skills and self-observation skills are two relational inquiry skills demonstrated in the provided scenario. Self-observation is vital in nursing practice, and by observing the patient's behavior before the surgery, the nursing student can deduce that the patient is upset and the only action that can ensure that he signs the surgery consent form, is if he is allowed to keep a religious object throughout the surgery. Another observation made is the charge nurse's decision to involve the multidisciplinary care team when making the care decision. The nurses responsible for the patient listened to the patient's needs. Rather than demeaning his cultural beliefs, they opted to collaborate and determine how they can address the patient's cultural and religious needs. One nurse even suggested a solution to the issue, which involved allowing the patient to have the religious object in the operating room, but under strict measures. This indicates the use of critical thinking skills and clinical reasoning. Additionally, the need for the surgeon's approval emphasizes the importance of interprofessional collaboration when addressing complex clinical situations.
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According to Younas (2017), relational inquiry enables nurses to perform appropriate actions that produce positive patient outcomes by examining patients' experiences and related healthcare needs. Reviewing the healthcare facility's procedural and policy manuals indicates relational inquiry. The charge nurse, together with the whole team, would utilize information gathered from the manual to determine whether allowing the religious object in the operating room was within the facility's health standards. Instead of relying on their knowledge in the decision-making process, they opted to conduct thorough research. According to Robinson (2019), nurses are required to make decisions based on the available evidence from research and policies.
Considering the dynamics of healthcare practice, I believe that the charge nurse's response was appropriate because it involved interprofessional collaboration, consideration of a patient's cultural and religious needs, and the effects that these have on the health outcomes of the patient. Due to the patient population's diversity, the use of relational inquiry is an appropriate tool that can help healthcare professionals provide efficient and culturally sensitive care to patients. Additionally, it provides healthcare providers with an opportunity to collaborate in the decision-making process. The given scenario applies relational inquiry, which, according to Younas (2017), is vital in ensuring desirable outcomes in health care.
Through various clinical experiences, I have learned that a relationship exists between a patient's cultural beliefs and care outcomes during care delivery; hence, I believe in a care delivery model that listens to the needs of the patient. For me, respecting an individual's cultural and religious beliefs is an ideal way of maintaining the patient's individual dignity. I agreed with the decisions that the nurses made, as they aligned with my personal expectations. The first impression that I had on the patient also influenced my acceptance of the decision made by the nurses. From past experience in clinical practices, patients whose needs were addressed prior to care delivery had better outcomes, hence I concurred with the decisions made and outcomes of the scenario.
The nurses made the right choice to consider addressing the patient's cultural and religious needs before conducting the surgery. Dismissal of the patient's spiritual needs would have resulted in his refusal of the surgery, which would risk his life since his medical condition depended on surgery for improvement. The decision to collaborate with other team members was appropriate since all care team members had an opportunity to explore options and agree upon one decision. This increased the probability of acquiring optimal patient health.
References
Robinson, B. A. (2019). Relational inquiry as a path to person-centered practice Ideas and Influences. Internal Practice Development Journal, 9 (1), 1-2. https://doi.org/10.19043/ipdj.91.013.
Younas, A. (2017). Relational inquiry approach: Nursing practice in Pakistan – A case study. Nursing Science Quarterly , 30 (4), 336-340. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318417724458
Young, L. E., & Paterson, B. L. (2017). Teaching nursing: Developing a student-centered learning environment . Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
