References

References

Acupuncture [Photograph]. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.woodlandsacu.com/

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2015). Population clock. (Cat. No. 3101.0). Canberra, ACT: Author. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument

Australian Government. (2009). Cultural protocols relating to deaths in Indigenous communities. Retrieved from https://apps.indigenous.gov.au/cultural_protocol.htm

Berman, A., Snyder, S. J., Levett-Jones, T., Dwyer, T., Hales, M., Harvey, N., ... Stanley, D. (2015). Kozier and Erb's fundamentals of nursing (3rd ed.). Victoria, Australia: Pearson Australia.

Ehrlich, S. (2016). Possible interactions with: St. John’s Wort. Retrieved from https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb-interaction/possible-interactions-with-st-johns-wort

Greenburg, J. (2009). Diversity in the workplace: benefits, challenges and solutions. Retrieved from

Grey, D. (Photographer). (2014). Smoking Ceremony [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://blogs.ft.com/photo-diary/2014/03/smoking-ceremony/

http://www.multiculturaladvantage.com/recruit/diversity/diversity-in-the-workplace-benefits-challenges-solutions.asp

Keaojinda, J. (2013, November 9). What is cultural and how is it defined? [Web log post]. Retrieved February 2, 2015, from https://culturalconflict.wordpress.com/2013/11/09/what-is-culture-and-how-is-it-defined/

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH). (2012). How are overweight and obesity treated?. Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/treatment

Phutela, D. (2015). The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication. IUP Journal Of Soft Skills, 9(4), 43-49. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f0c75f72-e841-441c-922f-260a769717c4%40sessionmgr4005&vid=2&hid=4211

Skill Boosters. (2013, Dec 11). What is equity and diversity in the workplace? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp5MkhejHGo

World Health Organisation (WHO). (2014). Track 2: Health literacy and health behaviour. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/7gchp/track2/en/

Disability, Disadvantage, Vulnerability and Stigma

Week 11

This is the module that has stood out the most for me in the way nurses work with people and  how it needs to change. A person with a disability is a person first and a disability second, not the other way around. While there are many support services in place there is a great deal of room for improvement, especially in hospitals. From watching the interviews from Kay, Leeanne, Trudy and Kay, it jumped out at me that there is so much more that can be done when caring for people with a disability. One thing that I wasn't aware of is that not all people have a carer with them when in hospital so many things like feeding and personal hygiene are not attended to as the nurse thinks the carer will do it and the carers think the nurses will do it. As nurses we attend these issues for "normal" patients so why is it that disabled patients don't receive the same care?. Don't assume is another topic that stands out, as it is often assumed that a non verbal person also has a cognitive disability as well. Non verbal communication can be in the form of hand gestures, auslan, facial expressions and sounds (Phutela, D. 2015). By taking the time to watch and listen to a person you will get to know what it is they are trying to tell you and what they need. 

I think the main point it all comes down to is the holistic approach that we learnt in Foundations of Nursing 1 at the start of the year. A person is not an illness or the disability that they have, they are a whole person with beliefs and values, a family and an individual knowledge of self that only they know best (Stanley et al., 2015). When walking into a room to see a patient don't look for their disability or illness first, see the person lying there. Ask what do they need, how can I help them and are their needs being met. While we as nurses know what medications to give, how to attach a drip and re-dress a wound, only the patient knows what is best for them and what is it that they need. No one knows a person better than the person themselves, so that is where you start when looking to provide the best care.

References

Berman, A., Snyder, S. J., Levett-Jones, T., Dwyer, T., Hales, M., Harvey, N., ... Stanley, D. (2015). Kozier and Erb's fundamentals of nursing (3rd ed.). Victoria, Australia: Pearson Australia.

Phutela, D. (2015). The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication. IUP Journal Of Soft Skills, 9(4), 43-49. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f0c75f72-e841-441c-922f-260a769717c4%40sessionmgr4005&vid=2&hid=4211

Health Literacy

Week 10

Sitting in front of a computer doing research, reading a book, understanding what the doctor told you or being able to pass an aptitude test are some things a lot of us take for granted. But what if English wasn't your first language, you never grew up using a computer or you never got to finish school? How well could you navigate the world and understand it to its full potential? Health literacy is the cognitive and social skills that allows people to  understand and use information in a way that improves and maintains their health. Health literacy is more than being able to read pamphlets and make appointments, it's about improving people's access to health information and then for them to be able to effectively use that information for the better (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2014, para. 1). 

An example of being able to use information would be with obesity. People generally know that to lose weight and be healthy they need to exercise and eat healthy foods (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute [NIH], 2012). If they are unable to read packaging, understand nutritional panels on foods or do not know where gyms and fitness groups are, then they are not going to be able to improve their health. It's the same with medications and health care, if they don't understand the doctor or the medications they may not take them and therefore their health can't improve. To make sure patients are getting the most from their health care you need to be sure that they are understanding what is needed of them and how to put the information into practice. Making sure they understand may require getting them to tell you in their own words what they have to do, have a family member come with them to explain or just spend that extra time explaining in layman's terms. Being a nurse often means going back over things that the doctor has said as often people will nod and agree but not actually be clear on their treatment or illness. 

References

World Health Organisation (WHO). (2014). Track 2: Health literacy and health behaviour. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/7gchp/track2/en/

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH). (2012). How are overweight and obesity treated?. Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/treatment

Equity and Diversity in the Workplace

Week 9

You Tube clip

As Australia is a multi cultural country we find that in our workplaces there is a large mix of different cultures also. For health care providers this is a good thing as each culture has their own way of practicing and have different skills that they bring with them (Greenburg, 2009). It is the responsibility of everyone to be respectful to others and their beliefs and cultures and expect the same in return. Having a diverse range of cultures in a workplace, gives many ideas to problems and a range of solutions. Just because someone is a Registered Nurse from Australia doesn't mean that a Registered Nurse from England has been trained the same or has the same knowledge. Even drugs can be different country to country which surprised me as I thought drug companies would make and distribute the same drugs everywhere. While we are taught to listen to and respect other cultures within our patients, it is just as important to do so with our colleagues. New arrivals from other cultures may find it difficult to intergrate into the new way of life as the lifestyle may be quite different from what they are use to. By making sure everyone is included, involved and helped where needed, we can make the transition period much smoother. Simple things like home sickness and not being sure how to do procedures the new way can lead some to withdrawal and feel isolated. By being aware of my colleagues and their cultural differences it can make for a happy workplace for all.

References
Skill Boosters. (2013, Dec 11). What is equity and diversity in the workplace? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp5MkhejHGo

Greenburg, J. (2009). Diversity in the workplace: benefits, challenges and solutions. Retrieved from

http://www.multiculturaladvantage.com/recruit/diversity/diversity-in-the-workplace-benefits-challenges-solutions.asp

Cultural Competence and Care in Communties

Week 8

Our health care system works to create a single goal of cultural competence that can provide the best health care to everyone regardless of their grasp on the language, their race, culture or background.

From the interview with Rosalie and Rikki it is clearly shown that despite all Rikki's medical issues she still needs to be treated with care and compassion.

Iceberg Model of Culture

As you can see from the above image there is a lot about a person that you can not understand just by looking at them according to Kaeojinda (2015). While you may be able to tell what country they are from, what language they speak and how they dress, but lots of their culture is what is inside them. Without asking the person and taking the time to get to know them you can not provide the best health care for them.

I liked how Rikki's mum's main priority for her care while in hospital was just to take the time to watch and understand her and to care for her as you would like to be cared for. By watching Rikki throughout the interview you can see that there is more she is trying to tell you than you first think. For my future nursing I need to take more time to connect with the patients and really try to understand what it is that they mean and need.

References

Keaojinda, J. (2013, November 9). What is cultural and how is it defined? [Web log post]. Retrieved February 2, 2015, from

https://culturalconflict.wordpress.com/2013/11/09/what-is-culture-and-how-is-it-defined/

Multiculturalism and Health

Week 7

Dutch Migrants

The above picture (Dutch Migrants, 2016) is what a lot of people think of when they think of people of different backgrounds coming to Australia. These people are healthy, have skills, speak English and are looking to leave their country and become Australians. As of February 1st 2016 at 14.06, Australia's population was 23 986 26, with a gain of one migrant every two minutes and 30 seconds (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2015)

Boat People

These people arrive anyway they can to escape war, poverty and political issues in their countries. They are often ill, malnourished, unable to speak English and have no skills that they can contribute to the Australian workforce.

It is this mix of cultures and backgrounds that gives Australia it's multi culture reputation. The migrants that come, weather it be planned or for asylum, can have the same barriers to face regarding their health in their new country. Family separation, housing, language, low levels of health literacy and employment are all factors that can affect health by stress, income, stability and depression.

During this module it is easy to see why so many asylum seekers and refuges often self harm and hunger strike during detention, as they arrive with nothing and are then put into detention with no idea if they will be allowed into the country or for how long they will be in detention. Even planned immigrants who come without having a solid base and support find it hard to integrate into the community. When nurses are caring for those of other cultures you need to find out what you can do for them and is there any specific requirements they need during their care and upon returning home. This will be good to remember for later when I am working with different cultures.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2015). Population clock. (Cat. No. 3101.0). Canberra, ACT: Author.

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument

Dutch Migrants image retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Dutch_Migrant_1954_MariaScholte%3D50000thToAustraliaPostWW2.jpg

Boat people image retrieved from http://leftwithlouie.com/2013/08/26/my-issue-with-stopping-the-boat-people/

Cultural Health Practices and Beliefs and CAM

Week 6

Through out the world there are thousands of different cultures and beliefs. In today's nursing and health care practices, staff need to be aware and sensitive to these differences and treat the patient as a holistic being not just an ill body in a bed. Such aspects such as Jewish don't eat pork, some people only want to be treated by staff of the same gender and different beliefs at the end of life are all little differences that people believe in. By being aware and taking the time to listen and acknowledge these differences will allow the caregiver to provide better care for the person. From watching the video of Diane Coorah, a Wiradjuri woman, and her journey with terminal cancer really brought to light the concerns that she had for herself, her family and her beliefs at the end of her time. It showed that her main concern was for her family's mental and cultural well being and for her final time to be in comfort and in line with her beliefs. I learnt that after their passing some Aboriginals request that you do not refer to them by name as it can upset the family and keep the spirit from leaving (Australian Government, 2009). From learning about the elders and the body smoking I can make sure that I am getting all the patients wishes so that they can be at peace knowing that they will be taken care of.

Aboriginal smoking ceremony

Complementary and Alternative Medicine is also an aspect that needs to be looked at if being used as some modern and eastern medicines should not be uses together. For example, some anti-depressives and St John's Wort can cause an increase to the effects of the anti-depressants and cause serotonin syndrome (Ehrlich,2016). I have personally used Chinese medicine and acupuncture after years of failed IVF attempts. We were blessed with our daughter and found that my reasons for being unable to carry a child for longer than the first trimester was much more in depth than modern medicine understood.

Acupuncture

By understanding that everyone have a different culture and beliefs I will be able to make sure I am understanding the holistic person and can provide the best care.

References

Ehrlich, S. (2016). Possible interactions with: St. John’s Wort. Retrieved from https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb-interaction/possible-interactions-with-st-johns-wort

Australian Government. (2009). Cultural protocols relating to deaths in Indigenous communities. Retrieved from https://apps.indigenous.gov.au/cultural_protocol.htm

Grey, D. (Photographer). (2014). Smoking Ceremony [Photograph]. Retrieved from

http://blogs.ft.com/photo-diary/2014/03/smoking-ceremony/

Acupuncture [Photograph]. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.woodlandsacu.com/