NR394 Week 3 Discussion, Healthcare Needs of a Specific Minority Group

NR394 Week 3 Discussion, Healthcare Needs of a Specific Minority Group According to Meridian Health Cultural Diversity Department Research (2009), the ethnic minority group in Monmouth County is Hispanics/Latinos. Some of their healthcare needs include: • Language/Communication – identifying the correct language is important for proper communication. • Diabetes screening because it is two times more prevalent in Hispanics • Blood pressure screening because Hypertension is common in Hispanics • Cervical cancer screening for Hispanic women due to their increased risk and incidence • HIV/AIDs testing – in 2006, 23% of the newly diagnosed in NJ were Latinos The minority groups identified in Monmouth County were Hispanics/Latinos. Currently, 9.4% of Monmouth‘s population are Latinos. 50% of the population are classified as low-income and the other 50% and considered middle-income and above. However, women are also a minority group. After reviewing wage by gender, a full time male employee makes 1.4 times more than a full time female employee. New Jersey is one of the nation’s most diverse states; it is the home to many different cultures, races, and ethnic groups. The benefits of minorities living in New Jersey is that we have a established office of minority and multicultural health that is committed to helping people in this diverse communities live longer, healthier lives. Also, through these efforts, the office of minority and multicultural health hopes to reduce and eventually eliminate health disparities in New Jersey. Another opportunity I see for improving the health of this group is by continuing to the health services provided by the church I attend. Every Sunday blood pressure screenings are performed in the school’s gym. Also, resources that can be helpful to guide them in seeking healthcare should be available through flyers, brochures, and hotlines telephone numbers. In order to communicate their healthcare needs to other disciplines or professionals, an assessment to identify healthcare needs must be completed. Obtaining language assistance to foster in effective communicate is essential. Next, I would report my findings a doctor. Latinos view healthcare providers, especially doctors to a high status and authority. This results in Latinos demonstrating respecto in medical encounters. Latinos value the practice of “respecto” in their interactions with others, which translates to respect. However, this can also cause a barrier in doctor-patient communication. As Latinos view doctors as authority figures, they become hesitant ask questions or verbalize concern about the doctor’s recommendations to avoid what can be viewed as disrespectful. In order to ensure that the communication being delivered and received is clear, I pay special attention to both the doctors and patient’s action through gestures and facial expressions. For example, the patient may nod to show respect when a doctor is talking. I would verify with the patient throughout the interaction if what was being communicated was understood and have them verbalize their understanding by restating. Finally, I would also communicate to the doctors the cultural needs, values, and practices of the patient in order to achieve desirable outcomes. The role of the BSN-prepared nurse in enhancing communication skills related to cultural specific minority populations is vital. Nurses need to become familiar with the cultural values affecting interactions with patients from different cultures. Being an expert in knowing multiple cultures is impossible. Nurses can gain essential knowledge about important cultural values by using published source, speaking to interpreters or translators, and other community members. In order to enhance communication skills, it is essential to learn to ask questions in a culturally sensitive way. More so, BSN-prepared nurses can enhance communicate by identifying the patient’s preferred language, making sure that the person providing language assistance is culturally competent, and providing information that is easy to understand in their preferred form, such as, verbal or written text. Andrews, M. M., & Boyle, J. S. (2016). Transcultural concepts in nursing care (7th ed.). Philadelphia: PA. Wolters Kluwer. Carteret, M. (2011). Cultural values of Latino patients and families. Retrieved from Meridian Health Cultural Diversity Department Research. (2009) Cultural competency Monmouth County, New Jersey. Latino/Hispanic & African American populations. Retrieved from