Nursing Reflective Collaboration of Education

Discuss about the Nursing Reflective Collaboration of Education.

Introduction

Healthcare profession is the collaboration of education, personality, values, skills, knowledge, attitude and behaviour. These aspects are required to address the basic requirements of the patient (Lillis et al. 2010). In this study, I will provide my reflection on my anticipated nursing or healthcare practice that I will adopt for providing effective health outcome and culturally safe healthcare to my chosen ethnic group that are Australian Muslims. The Muslims are second largest religious group globally and form the major portion of Australian population where 79% of Muslims have attained the citizenship in the country (Hallam, 2012).

Identifying the basic barriers in healthcare assessment and care processes of the chosen group

According to studies of Pooremamali et al. (2012) the basic barrier in providing good healthcare to the Muslim community is communication issue because more than 60% of Australian Muslims come from a non-English background and are not able to communicate properly with healthcare providers. Hoye and Severinsson (2010) studied about the dietary issues where Muslim community follows a lawful diet (halal diet) where some specific foods, alcohol, and drugs are not permitted for consumption. Padela et al. (2012) indicated that halal diet sometimes creates hurdle in treatment process where medicines contain alcohol and specific drugs are essential for their health.

Further, Zeilani and Seymour (2012) indicated that some modest beliefs of Muslim community do not allow nudity, exposure of secret body parts and physical touch by opposite gender. In the certain emergency situation, this belief becomes a barrier to providing treatment. Høye and Severinsson (2010) indicated that Quran strictly prohibits exposure of female body parts where women are required to dress from head to ankles. This creates an issue in clinical performances. According to Pooremamali et al. (2012), the Australian Muslim persists a lack of knowledge about the healthcare processes in Australian medical system. In some cases, it creates a confusion, distress and conflict between user and provider of healthcare.

The cleanliness conditions, food requirements and religious observance of this community works as a challenge for healthcare providers that are required to be addressed in any situation (Lillis et al. 2010). Another minor belief of this community involves male bread being an essential religious dignity symbol that is not permissible to be removed without proper consent. This creates hurdle in the case of emergency and patient unconscious state (Zeilani and Seymour, 2012). The Ramadan month fasting done in the Muslim community is a mandatory religious practice for health individuals. But, certain health mis-happening requires food intake, therefore, this religious ritual becomes a barrier in addressing healthcare requirements (Høye and Severinsson, 2010). Some medical requirements like in vitro fertilisation, abortion, contraception, embryo donation and experimentation are not acceptable in this community that creates a barrier in sexual and reproductive health treatment processes (Lillis et al. 2010).

Reflecting on personal attitudes, beliefs and values for chosen group and assessing the impact (positive or negative) of these on anticipated healthcare practice for chosen group

Personal attitudes, beliefs and values get developed as per our culture, environment and family. In nursing practice, personal attitude, values and beliefs either provides competency or creates difficulties in providing healthcare. At personal level reflecting on my attitudes, beliefs and values, I want to mention that I am a culturally competent individual that believes in respecting all religions, priorities and perspectives. I value the human dignity, privacy and modesty. My cultural values educate me about respecting elders and caring for children. I am a free-living person, flexible, smart and adaptable. I hold a keen perception power. As an anticipated healthcare professional, I will work to deliver healing with respecting autonomy, providing beneficence, social justice and providing care in best possible manner.

As per confronting with my personal values, beliefs and attitudes I realised that these can affect my anticipated healthcare professional practice in both positive and negative manner. My belief of respecting human dignity, all cultures, religions and perspective will surely help me in understanding the rationale of Muslim culture and beliefs. Therefore, I will understand their culture, practices and values with a respectful approach and address them in my care practice. Further, my value of respecting privacy and modesty will also help in understanding the aspects of their dressing, spirituality, sexuality and other cultural beliefs. My cultural competency to respect elders and support children will surely help me in becoming an acceptable care provider.

But my attitude of respecting the autonomy of self and other can create a hurdle where my autonomy may get affected in certain situations of conflict and confusion which are generally observed in healthcare cases provided to this community.  For example- I studied a case where a Muslim patient abused the car providers for unknowingly breaking their fast. I would surely react in an irrational manner in such situation where my autonomy or self-respect gets hurt. Further, my approach as a flexible, smart and adaptable person will help me to modify as per patient requirements, educate them about the healthcare process, and provide safe healthcare environment. My attitude of providing social justice will help me to successful deliver patient advocacy for addressing different issues of Muslim Australian community.

Describing some culturally safe healthcare practices that will deliver good healthcare to chosen group

Some of the most successful healthcare practices for Australian Muslim communities as per different literature studies that I will adopt to deliver safe healthcare services are like I will practice good communication and open dialogue with my patients to address their cultural needs for healthcare, further, I will use alternatives like language card, communication tools in case client is not able to understand English. In order to meet their food requirements, I will address their food requirements as per their halal food. Further, to transmit knowledge, I will educate patient about the healthcare concepts and patient rights (Kirmayer, 2012)

In requirement of patient advocacy, it will be delivered with honesty and perseverance. As this community is more focussed on traditional means of medication, I will try to use traditional medication therapies to cure patient as per physician consent. The healthcare environment will be maintained to meet the hygiene and cleanliness requirement of Muslim patient. Complete respect and acceptance will be practised for the religious beliefs of Muslim patient (Perng & Watson, 2012).

Further, The administration of alcohol-containing medications will be avoided or patient consent will be taken before their administration as their cultural norms criticize alcohol consumption. I will address the gender-specific healthcare needs of female Muslim patient and will work to get female doctor for a female patient. I will educate them about proper maternity services and their impact on health of mother and children. I will discuss end of life problems and advance care plans with the patient as well as their families (Edgecombe et al. 2013).

Outline personal performance as a healthcare provider advocating for chosen group to improve their health outcomes

As a healthcare provider advocate for Australian Muslim’s, I will strongly function to address effective healthcare outcomes with providing complete respect to the religious beliefs and cultural values of this group. I will work to increase understanding about Islamic cultural beliefs in my healthcare scenario. I will advocate health interaction between healthcare providers and Muslim’s to make them aware about the preventative care concepts and importance. Attempts will be made to overcome the rationale thinking approach of this community. Further, I will make sure that healthcare organisation addresses the basic hygiene, food, dress and other requirements of the patient. In this manner the cultural sensitivity of this community will be preserved in my advocacy practice as well as attempts will be made to overcome the irrational religious beliefs of this community to deliver effective healthcare services (Chang et al. 2012).

Conclusion

Nursing or healthcare profession works to deliver care irrespective of the cast, creed, culture, race and religion of any individual. But, the existence of discrimination in society related to these factors (cast, race etc.) creates a hurdle in effective healthcare implementation (Hallam, 2012). The healthcare professional, lawmakers and regulators have to perform in a specific manner to overcome this discrimination and deliver equal care services (Lillis et al. 2010). This reflection indicates my perspective about addressing the healthcare needs of a special concern group of Australia. This reflection made me realise about the on-going barriers and strategies required for improving the nursing care practice for Australian Muslims.

References

Hallam, J., 2012. Nursing the image: media, culture and professional identity. Abingdon: Routledge.

Lillis, C., LeMone, P., LeBon, M. and Lynn, P., 2010. Study guide for fundamentals of nursing: The art and science of nursing care. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Chang, E.S., Simon, M. and Dong, X., 2012. Integrating cultural humility into health care professional education and training. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 17(2), pp.269-278.

Edgecombe, K., Jennings, M. and Bowden, M., 2013. International nursing students and what impacts their clinical learning: Literature review. Nurse education today, 33(2), pp.138-142.

Høye, S. and Severinsson, E., 2010. Professional and cultural conflicts for intensive care nurses. Journal of advanced nursing, 66(4), pp.858-867.

Kirmayer, L., 2012. Rethinking cultural competence. Transcultural Psychiatry, 49(2), pp. 149.

Padela, A.I., Killawi, A., Forman, J., DeMonner, S. and Heisler, M., 2012. American Muslim perceptions of healing key agents in healing, and their roles. Qualitative health research, 22(6), pp.846-858.

Perng, S. J., & Watson, R., 2012. Construct validation of the Nurse Cultural Competence Scale: a hierarchy of abilities. Journal of clinical nursing, 21(11?12), pp. 1678-1684.

Pooremamali, P., Eklund, M., Östman, M. and Persson, D., 2012. Muslim Middle Eastern clients' reflections on their relationship with their occupational therapists in mental health care. Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy, 19(4), pp.328-340.

Zeilani, R. and Seymour, J.E., 2012. Muslim women's narratives about bodily change and care during critical illness: A qualitative study. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 44(1), pp.99-107.