Culturally Competent Nursing Care -- Asian Pacific Culturally Competent Nursing Care for Asian Pacific Culture

Nurses and other healthcare professionals providing services to Asians / Pacific Islanders should understand that there are "…several important cultural beliefs" that should be respected. This paper reviews those cultural traditions so that culturally competent nursing care (values, beliefs, and practices) can be provided to this particular population.

Culturally Competent Care for the Asian Pacific Culture

In the first place, when it comes to healthcare for cultures other than the dominant culture, there are "transcultural nursing principles" to take into consideration (Lundy, et al., 2001). Nurses should use "humanistic and scientific cultural care knowledge" -- which means doing the research on the specific cultural values of the patient before treating that patient (Lundy, 224). The analysis of the "cultural needs of the people" the nurse then can implement a "culturally congruent plan of care," Lundy explains. Moreover, the nurse must have the "…willingness to enter the client's world" and become an "active and interested participant" (Lundy, 224). And even though the nurse...

She further points out that assuming all people in any given culture "…are the same is stereotyping and leads to negative outcomes" (Lundy, 223).
The nurse attending Asians / Pacific Islanders should understand that the "…oldest male in the family is often the decision maker and spokesperson" (Euromedinfo.eu). In many cases with this culture, the "honor" and "interests" of the family tend to be more important than any issues with individual family members; and the older members of the family are respected to such a degree that their authority is "…often unquestioned" (Euromedinfo.eu). Typically the Asian / Pacific Culture tend to avoid conflict at all costs: "…maintaining harmony is an important value" (Euromedinfo.eu).

The Stanford University research on Pacific Islanders points out that while younger families show great respect for their elders, elders will often "…defer to the judgment of their adult children" (Wergowske, et al., 2001). It is important to the caregiver / nurse that first names not…