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Identify an experience where you had to assess the needs, interests, and goals of a patient with an ethnic background, different from yours, that resulted in a positive learning experience. How did you turn the situation into a positive learning experience? Did you personally have to deal with any stereotypical beliefs? When I was working in SICU (Surgical Intensive Care Unit), I was assigned to a patient who was admitted to ICU after an episode of bradycardia and loss of consciousness on the medical surgical floor. A rapid response was initiated and she was intubated and brought to our unit.

She was Haitian and came from a very different ethnic background. At the time I was not familiar with their culture or beliefs nor did I know her health history and what originally brought her to the hospital or the reason for her admission. After a couple days of being assigned to her and taking care of her and her family, I began to understand a little more. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer the previous year and had undergone chemotherapy which unfortunately was unsuccessful. The cancer had spread throughout her body including her esophagus which was later found out to be the reason for the intubation.

A tumor had attached itself to her airway and she was unable to breath on her own. I instantly became attached to the patient and family and enjoyed learning about their culture and belief system. Many people including doctors, nurses and other medical professionals couldn’t understand why a patient who was terminal would want everything done and continue aggressive treatment. Many gave up on her and the family which is why I believe they requested that I take care of her every shift I worked. Special arrangements were made between the family and my director to accommodate their wishes.

Each shift I worked, I took care of her. Her daughter and her husband never left her side other than for bathing or other emergent matters that couldn’t be handled without them. Eventually the primary physicians would stop rounding on her daily and healthcare professional started discussing her prognosis, treatment and plan of care. No one understood why we were continuing to treat this individual as they called the treatment "futile". As time went on, the hospital decided to call in Risk Management as they had a different belief and understanding regarding her patient’s wishes and medical management.

This is when I realized I did, I understood her and her family and knew I needed to be her patient advocate and her voice. I fought for her treatment and plan of care which was aggressive not palliative. She expressed to me she wanted to live, even if it meant her last days were spent in the hospital. She would lay there and listen to her children laugh and tell stories about their day and her husband's voice telling her how much he loved her. She was a mother of 10 and had the most beautiful family I had ever met.

Before I met her, I may have had the same thoughts and comments as the other healthcare professionals. However, once I got to know her and her family as well as their cultural beliefs and background, I understood her. This was more than a positive learning experience; it changed my life, my outlook, and opened my eyes to cultural diversity and understanding.

Paper For Above instruction

Assessing the needs of patients from diverse cultural backgrounds is a critical skill in healthcare, fostering respect, understanding, and equitable care. An illustrative case from my clinical experience involves a Haitian patient in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) facing terminal illness, which profoundly enhanced my cultural competence and underscored the importance of patient advocacy.

In this scenario, I was assigned to care for a Haitian woman who had been admitted after an episode of bradycardia and lost consciousness. Unfamiliar with her background, I initially lacked knowledge about her cultural beliefs and medical history. Over several days, through direct interaction and communication with her and her family, I began to understand her history—she had undergone unsuccessful chemotherapy for breast cancer, which had spread extensively, including to her esophagus, causing her airway obstruction.

The cultural context played a significant role in her care. Her family’s unwavering presence and her desire for continued aggressive treatment despite medical opinions labeled her case as 'futile'. Many healthcare professionals questioned her choices, viewing her treatment as unlikely to improve her condition. However, I recognized the importance of honoring her and her family's wishes, which emphasized the values of hope and family unity within Haitian culture. I arranged for care that aligned with her and her family’s goals, advocating for her right to pursue all possible options supported by her faith and cultural beliefs.

This situation challenged my preconceived notions and biases. Initially, I grappled with the conflict between medical futility and the patient's cultural desire to fight for life. However, my engagement with her family revealed that her wish to continue treatment was rooted in spiritual beliefs and hope that her children and husband shared—a vital insight often overlooked in clinical decision-making. I learned that respecting cultural differences requires active listening, humility, and a willingness to understand perspectives beyond Western biomedical paradigms.

Throughout her care, I became her advocate, ensuring her voice was heard, and her wishes respected amidst ongoing debates among clinical staff and risk management. I prioritized communication between the healthcare team and her family, facilitating shared decision-making. Her story underscored the importance of cultural competence, empathy, and advocacy in delivering patient-centered care. Her family’s presence and her own expressed desire to live until her natural end highlighted the need to individualize care plans that respect cultural and personal values.

This experience profoundly affected me, expanding my cultural awareness and reinforcing the importance of holistic, respectful care tailored to each patient’s beliefs and preferences. It demonstrated that understanding cultural backgrounds not only improves patient satisfaction but can also result in better health outcomes. The case exemplifies how healthcare providers must develop cultural humility and communication skills that enable honoring diverse patient values, especially in terminal care situations.

In conclusion, assessing the needs, interests, and goals of patients from different cultural backgrounds is essential for providing equitable and compassionate care. My experience with the Haitian patient taught me that listening, understanding, and advocating for cultural differences lead to more personalized, respectful, and ultimately positive healthcare experiences. Cultivating cultural competence should be a continuous pursuit for healthcare professionals committed to delivering truly patient-centered care.

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