Geri Ann Galanti Addresses Cultural

¶ … Geri Ann Galanti addresses cultural diversity in the hospital setting and the difficulty that can occur in blending the cultures of the nurses and the patients. There was one source used to complete this paper.

The article opens with the admission that hospitals can be a very stressful environment for patients and families, in particular families of international cultural origin. Families can come from throughout the world to be treated in American hospitals and often seek medical treatment in America because of the advanced technology that is available here. However, with the international patients comes cultural diversity and it is important for the nursing profession to become educated in how to care for patients whose families and backgrounds have diverse cultural needs and desires (Galanti, 2001).

The most important element of this article is the discussion about knowing the difference between stereotyping and generalizing. The article uses examples of differently cultured patients and the staff reaction to the patient complaints of pain. In one instance the patient was Mexican and complaining of pain which the nurse initially ignored because in his mind all Mexican females are vocal about pain. Eventually however, he called the physician and they discovered the patient had suffered a serious complication and had to have immediate surgery to correct it (Galanti, 2001).

In another example the patient was Mexican and was facing surgery that would save her life. The nurse was aware that in the Mexican culture it is customary to allow men to make decisions so the nurse went against doctor's orders and called the husband. When the patient refused to sign consent without the husband present the doctor was frustrated because time was of the essence. Fortunately because the nurse had called the husband he walked in at that moment and signed the consent.

This article illustrates the importance of understanding various cultural beliefs and using that understanding to provide more comfortable care for the patient. It also cautions against using that understanding to ignore patient concerns or requests.

The article drives home the fact that no one can be sure that another person's beliefs are wrong. The answer when it comes to cultural diversity is education. Educating nursing staff members to become familiar with various cultures and understand their importance to the patients of those cultures will make a significant difference in the comfort and stress level that the patients will encounter (Galanti, 2001)