Human Diversity & Social Issues in Nursing
Increasingly, health care professionals see nursing as about more than tending to the ill. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing refers to nursing taking place in a "continuum between wellness and illness". Nurses do not only work in hospitals; they work in patients' homes, in schools, in the military and in a variety of other settings. The nurse has to work effectively with the whole package that is the patient. This may include the patient's family, his social background and his work situation. Therefore all nurses must understand the complexities and relevance of human diversity and social issues.
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Diversity
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Nurses work with patients from a range of ethnic, cultural and religious groups. Because of the nature of nursing, this means that the contact between nurse and patients is intimate and sensitive. Nurses need to be aware of issues, for example, rituals that surround death in some cultures, that impinge directly on their work. Nurses need to know enough about diverse groups to develop an awareness that enhances planning and caring for patients.
Social Circumstances
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Nurses work with a range of people who come from diverse social backgrounds. If a nurse has no awareness or limited awareness of this, it will impact on caring. An example of this would be a nurse giving dietary and lifestyle advice to a diabetic patient. The advice may be sound, but the leap for this patient may be extreme if she comes from an environment where fast food is the norm.
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Care Planning
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The nurse has responsibility for planning the patient's nursing care. She must first carry out a care assessment on the patient, based on needs. The care assessment should look at all aspects of a patient's life. If the nurse is sensitive to cultural and diversity issues, she is going to be aware, for instance, that some patients' religious needs will be of primary importance, and that neglecting this aspect, will hamper the patient's recovery.
Multidisciplinary Team
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The nurse must interact with other members of a multidisciplinary team. It may be appropriate, for instance, to liaise with a social worker if a patient's social situation is such that her health is jeopardised. The nurse needs to be aware of all aspects of the patient's well-being that affect the continuum from wellness to illness. This must include social and cultural issues.
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References
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