NUR 220 - Culture and ethnicity

Generalization

Categorizing members of the same group as having similar characteristics

Stereotypes

• A widely held, simplified, and essentialist belief about a specific group

• Deeply embedded with social institutions and wider culture

• Idea

Prejudice

When someone has a belief (usually negative) about a person or group based on a stereotype (feeling)

Discrimination

When a person is treated less favorably because of their culture (action)

Cultural competence

The ability to interact with and appreciate people of different cultures and beliefs, a lifelong process

Individual cultural competence

• Focuses on an individual's ability to interact effectively in cross-cultural situations

• An ongoing process of learning, self-reflection, and adaptation

• It's about developing the ability to navigate cultural differences with sensitivity and respect

Organizational cultural competence

• Encompasses a system's policies, practices, and infrastructure to support culturally and linguistically sensitive services

• About creating a system where cultural diversity is valued, and services are delivered in a way that respects and meets the needs of all individuals

Bias

Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair

Implicit bias

• Expressed indirectly

• Unaware of bias

• A negative attitude against a specific social group (gut reaction)

Explicit bias

• Traditional conceptualization of bias

• Individuals are aware of their prejudices and attitudes towards certain groups

Biases in healthcare

These biases can directly affect healthcare outcomes and patient satisfaction!!!

Social stigmas

• Stigmatization is the process of assigning negative labels or stereotypes to individuals or groups, leading to discrimination, social exclusion, and a sense of shame

• It involves marking someone as different and undesirable, often based on perceived flaws or deviations from societal norms

Stigmatized groups may be subjected to:

• Social avoidance or rejeection

• Hiding their illness to avoid discrimination

• Denials of health care, education, housing, or employment

• Physical violence

How to break stigmas

• Talk openly about the stigma

  • Social media has become a great space for positivity

• Educate yourself and others – respond to misperceptions or negative comments by sharing facts and experiences

• Be conscious of language – remind people that words matter

• Encourage equality and draw comparisons: are they really that different?

• Be honest about treatment – normalize the stigma, just like other health care treatment

• Show compassion for those who are subjected to the stigma

Stigmas nursing considerations

• Improve the nurse-patient communication by always using an interpreter

  • MUST BE FACILITY APPROVED INTERPRETER

  • Look at the family when speaking - not the interpreter

• Apologize if cultural tradition or beliefs are violated

• Use gestures to increase understanding

• Speak slowly at normal volume, avoiding abbreviations and slang

  • You can use lay terms to communicate - not medical jargon

• Do NOT take smiling and nodding as understanding!!!

• Use printed materials suited to patient’s level of understanding

Ethnicity

• Belonging to a group based on common:

  • Ancestry

  • National origin

  • Religion

  • Language

  • Cultural traditions

Culture

• Broader

• It encompasses the shared

  • Values

  • Beliefs

  • Customs

  • Behaviors

  • Traditions of a group of people

• Culture influences how people perceive the world, how they communicate, and how they behave

  • This includes things like:

    • Dietary habits

    • Family roles

    • Health beliefs

    • Communication styles