Week seven’s topic was
multiculturalism and health. As Australia is well known as a multicultural
society (Daly, Speedy & Jackson, 2014, p. 342) it is imperative that up and
coming nurses are well versed in this topic. The readings given delved into the
barriers immigrants to Australia face, such as language difficulties and the
lowered health literacy this can cause, an expectation to assimilate into
Australian society, a lack of knowledge about the facilities available to
assist them and the large distances they may have to travel in order to access
appropriate health care.
The interview with
Mercy was also eye opening, in that she herself has been an immigrant from
Ghana to America and now Australia. She shared some of the problems she faced,
and her views on how health professionals could make things more comfortable
for others in the same situation. One comment she made stuck with me – that
just because two people are from the same area, we should not assume that they
want the same thing. This reverts back to the information from week six, where
we learned that there are often sub-cultures within cultures, and they can
differ in a surprising number of ways. Mercy believes that we should be
open-minded and treat each patient as an individual, asking them what they want
to avoid any confusion or presumptions. I believe this to be excellent advice.
If, in my nursing career, I make it clear to my patient that I am asking
questions, not out of judgement, but out of a need to give them the best care
possible, it will not only make my job easier, but ensure my patient feels that
they are being cared for as a whole person.
In the phone interview
conducted by Penny, her interviewee mentioned that in every religion there are
good and bad people. This is an important insight, and one that reinforces to
me Mercy’s comment of treating everyone individually. There is no room in
health care for prejudice and unfounded bias.
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