ase 1 Authors: Sharon B. Buchbinder and Dale Buchbinder
Case 1: A new Latina graduate of an MHSA program is hired to be in charge of a quality improvement and patient safety initiative at a hospital in Washington, DC. On her first morning at work, she asks her administrative assistant, an older African-American woman, to schedule one-on-one appointments for her key employees involved in the new program. She wants to see them starting on the next day, so she asks her assistant to start making the appointments as soon as possible. The administrative assistant nods, says nothing and returns to her computer work. At the end of the day, the administrative assistant has made no appointments for her new boss.
Case 2 Author: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Healthcare
Case 2: A Vietnamese Death. Dr. Needleman was invited to do a presentation on cultural competence to the hospice staff at a large successful, and very white hospital. As part of his preparation, he visited the inpatient hospice one afternoon. At the end of his visit, he sat with the nurses as they debriefed the shift. One, a leader of some sort, said that she was pleased Dr. Needleman would talk to them since she needed to know more. She then said why. She had been rushing around for a few hours to solve a problem for a Vietnamese man whose wife had just died in the CCU following palliative surgery for cancer. The CCU needed the bed, but the husband told the nurse that he needed to be with his wife for three days in case her spirit returned. At about this point, Dr. Needleman wondered out loud what the problem was since the nurse seemed to be listening in a neutral fashion- an important early step in culturally competent care. She went on. She looked through the hospital for a room where the man could be in private with his wife. In addition, she negotiated with some service that needed to have the body for standard hospital procedures after a death. Ultimately, she succeeded in getting the service to back off. In addition she found that the hospice conference room might work for the sitting process. However, there was a conference in there; she threw them out. At this point, Dr. Needleman was astounded that the nurse felt that she needed more education/practice in cultural competence. She had exhibited the kind of system savvy that he thought was essential in cultural competence and engaged in a negotiation process that is the essence of cultural practice. What, he wondered, was the problem? I asked again. She said simply: “But the husband does not believe that his wife is dead.”
Questions:
What are the known facts in each scenario? What else may be going on? What cultural differences might explain the misunderstandings in these cases? Paper should be a minimum of 100 words. APA format and intext citations and references
Thank you
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The two given scenarios have presented issues related to cultural differences that have caused misunderstandings between healthcare providers and patients. This essay aims to identify the facts in each case and analyze the possible cultural differences that might have led to the misunderstandings.
Case 1:
Known facts: A new Latina graduate of an MHSA program has been hired to be in charge of quality improvement and patient safety initiative at a hospital in Washington, DC. On her first day, she asks her administrative assistant, an older African-American woman, to schedule one-on-one appointments with key employees involved in the program, starting the next day. However, the assistant has not made any appointments by the end of the day.
Other possible factors: It is possible that the administrative assistant, an older African-American woman, may have felt disrespected by the new Latina graduate’s demands, and therefore, decided not to make the appointments. Additionally, there could be underlying feelings of racial tension or discrimination that may have led to the assistant’s response.
Cultural differences: The differences in communication styles and approach to authority could play a significant role in this scenario. The Latina graduate may have a more direct and assertive style of communication while the administrative assistant may have a more passive and indirect approach. Moreover, the differences in power dynamics, given that the new Latina graduate was hired to lead a quality improvement and patient safety initiative, could have also led to misunderstandings.
Case 2:
Known facts: Dr. Needleman was invited to prepare a presentation on cultural competence for the hospice staff at a large successful, and mostly white hospital. During a visit to the hospice, a Vietnamese man’s wife had passed away, and the nurse was having difficulty accommodating the man’s cultural belief that he needed to stay with his wife’s body for three days following her death.
Other possible factors: The nurse might have lacked knowledge or education in cultural competence, which could have hindered her ability to understand the patient’s cultural practices. Additionally, institutional factors, such as time limitations, may have played a role in the misunderstandings.
Cultural differences: The cultural differences that could explain the misunderstandings include differences in beliefs about death and mourning practices. In Vietnamese culture, it is customary to stay with the deceased for several days to ensure that the spirit has passed on. However, in Western culture, death is often treated as a medical event, and mourning practices tend to be shorter. Additionally, there may be differences in communication styles, such as indirect communication or less assertive communication in Vietnamese culture, which could contribute to communication breakdowns.
In conclusion, communication breakdowns due to cultural differences can significantly impact the delivery and quality of healthcare. It is essential for healthcare professionals to recognize, understand, and respect cultural differences to ensure effective communication and patient care.