MDC Nursing Discussion

Reply to posts by two of your peers with reflective questions, substantive comments, or relevant personal experiences.

Karolyn LutsockAccording to the scale I am aware of any biases I may have, however, I do not treat any patient or person differently because of their culture. Growing up we were always taught that the only race is the human race and everyone deserves to be treated with the same respect. There is no person that is more important than anyone else (the janitor is just as important as the CEO) and everyone has feelings and wants to be accepted. Another thing we were always taught was above all else to always be kind. You never know what someone else is going through and a kind word or a smile can go a long way.As nurses we have to be sensitive to all other cultures. I have a friend who had a massive heart attack in another country. As I was hearing of his hospital stay I was thinking of how scared, lonely and uncomfortable those that are from other countries must feel here. The facility I work for has a very diverse population with patients from many different countries (the majority are Hispanic/Latino) who do not speak English well if at all. We have a language line (which we all hate), but also have translation apps on our phones so we can talk to our patients/families in a way they can understand. This helps us to be sure they are on the same page and all their questions are answered, but also helps them feel more comfortable with the care they are receiving.As a nurse I try to put myself in my patient’s (or their parent’s) shoes and treat all patients equally with empathy, dignity and respect. Nurses can be biased based on many different things. As we work with different populations, we need to be aware of our biases and treat all patients as we would like to be treated.Etta LewisAfter taking the General Awareness and Attitude Scale I have come to realize that my beliefs and attitudes are influenced by my culture, but I don’t believe my culture has a huge impact on my behavior, but I’m sure it has some. I know that culture has a huge impact on people’s beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes especially when it comes to certain things.  I was raised to respect everyone and treat others how I want to be treated, and I have done just that, especially as a nurse. I don’t feel uncomfortable providing care for people who come from different backgrounds, I actually enjoy it because usually I learn something new from that person. My biases are not strong at all, I’m very aware of differences but I don’t feel like differences make one person better than the other. However, as a black nurse I can say that I have seen how other cultures are less receptive to receiving care from someone who looks like me, and honestly at first it really use to bother me, but now that I have been in the field for a while, I laugh at it more than anything. In order to be a great nurse I believe that it is very important to put biases aside and do the best job you can, no matter what