The modern nurse must then be willing to move beyond a simple catch-all of medical jargon and bureaucracy and become someone who is both supportive and critical of the system. This may seem dichotomous, but in reality is not. The system is designed with beneficence in mind -- to help the patient at all costs. It is thus up to the nurse advocate to ensure that that actually happens (Sheldon, 2009). Undertake assessments which are sensitive to the needs of the patient- Assessment is one of the key factors in management of clinical medicine. The nurse is often at the forefront of that process simply due to the logistical nature of the situation -- taking vitals, preparing the patient for blood work, etc. However, it is in two particular areas that the nurse can be most effective when assessing the actual needs of the patient; culturally and when questions are of a sensitive of private nature, yet information remains crucial. For instance, a patient's sexual history may be of vital importance when assessing STDs and/or infections; the sensitivity of the nurse during this time should be designed to make the patient feel comfortable, at ease, and with the use of rephrasing and appropriate empathy, honest in their response. In the same way, the holistic nursing model, recipient care should be sensitive to the cultural needs and bias of individuals, families, groups and communities. Some cultures have gender bias when talking about certain conditions; if the nurse is sensitive to this, they may try to mitigate that portion of the interview; if no other nurse is available, then simply rephrasing or allowing the patient to understand the confidentiality promise of modern medical care along with an empathetic understanding of the situation will help (Miller,...

This is part of being part of a global community, and should not be discounted. However, a nurses "calling" must go beyond cultural imposition or bias. For instance, a nurse cannot impose their own beliefs or patterns of behavior in others, or believe that their medical decisions should be made based on their own core values. Instead, the nurse must understand that it is the patient that comes first, and the goal of beneficence in medical care is to ease pain and suffering. A nurse might be predisposed to feel uncomfortable when treating a homeless person for alcoholism, or someone engaged in prostitution, or even someone reporting a sexually-transmitted disease. However, the modern nurse must first identify their own bias, move past that bias, and concentrate on the wellness of the patient and the overall mission of the nurse (Lundy and Janes, 2003).
REFERENCES

Edwards, N., et.al. (2003). Aging, Heart Disease, and Its Management. Humana Press.

Lundy, K. And Janes, S. (2003). Essentials of Community-Based Nursing. Sudbury, MA:

Jones and Bartlett.

Miller, C. (2009). Nursing for Wellness in Older Adults. Philadelphia, PA:

Wolters Kluwer Health.

Rai, G. (2009). Medical Ethics and the Elderly. Radcliffe Publishing.

Sheldon, L. (2009). Communication for Nurses: Talking With Patients. Sudbury, MA:

Jones and Bartlett.

Veatch, R.M. (2000). Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Medical Ethics. Jones & Bartlett.