Importance of Providing Culturally Competent Nursing Care for Asian Pacific Culture

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 may have done the research about the particular cultural values of the patient, there may be "a great variability between and within cultures and among individuals, Lundy continues. 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 be used unless the patient invites the use of his or her first name. The best policy is to ask the patient and family members how they prefer to be addressed, Wergowske explains on page 6.

While individuals within the Asian / Pacific Islander community may "vary widely," there are several "…relatively common cultural beliefs among Pacific Islanders"; Wergowske notes that the individual being cared for may be wearing western attire, but that same person may be quite traditional when it comes to health beliefs. As mentioned previously, Pacific Island societies place a lot more emphasis on the group -- and the "hierarchy of the group" -- than on individuals. For example, an elder village chief will likely receive more attention for his very minor illness than a younger member of the village who may be seriously ill (Wergowske, p. 7).

Also, a caregiver should understand that "group-oriented people may be very indirect" in their communication style, which means that any negative feelings ("unfairness, disappointment, and anger") are often kept inside simply because they are not "culturally appropriate for external expression" (Wergowske, p. 7).