Cultural Competency in Nursing Capstone Project

Cultural Competency in Nursing

The basic knowledge in nursing or medical studies needs substantial facilitation in order to be effective and appropriate towards addressing the needs and preferences of the patients. Watson notes the need to integrate humanistic aspect into the career or nursing profession. He also believes on the need for the establishment of the caring relationship between the patients and nurses thus demonstration of unconditional acceptance of the patients in any condition. Nurses should integrate holistic and positive treatment with the aim of promoting health through knowledge and interventions thus elimination of interruptions during treatments or 'caring moments'. Modern patients have diverse problems and issues because of the cultural differences, races, and ethnicity thus the need to enhance the operations of the nurses. There is need to ensure that the nurses obtain cultural competencies with the aim of enhancing their ability to address diverse issues and problems faced by patients

Contribution to the Future of Healthcare

This model of change has great influence on the future of healthcare because of the ability and potentiality to increase the output of the medical practitioners and institutions. The model of change will ensure that each nurse at the workplace has valuable cultural competency as a prerequisite knowledge on working within the medical facilities and structures. It is clear and precise in accordance with the needs for cultural competencies for the nurses integrated in the policies. Cultural competencies will enhance the ability of the nurses to address the needs and preferences of patients despite the essence of globalization such as diversity in ethnicity, race, and cultures. It will also improve the output of the nurses in delivery of services and products to the patients as well as development of quality and valuable relationship between the patients and service providers

Change Model Overview

The Rosswurm & Larrabee's Model of Change will be essential towards the achievement of this goal and objective. The model of change will offer six critical stages towards the achievement of significant change in the healthcare sector through nursing concept. The first step will focus on the critical assessment on the need for change in the nursing practice. The second step focuses on linking the problem, interventions, and outcomes to the nursing practice. The third step will synthesize best evidence through integration of literature review and important findings within research studies. The fourth step in the model of change focuses on designing the desired change in nursing practice as well as key players and stakeholders involved in the completion of the task. The fifth step will concentrate on the implementation and evaluation of change in the nursing practice. Finally, the model of change will focus on the integration and maintenance of the change in practice

Step 1: Assess the Need for Change

Three factors were essential in the determination or assessment of the need for change in the nursing practice: dissatisfaction in terms of the service, complaints, and comparison between the practice at the moment and ideal situation where cultural competency is integrated. This step focus on the collection of data from the patients through interviews as well as execution of literature reviews in relation to the cultural sensitive treatment in relation to any nursing institution. Various stakeholders in the form of proprietors and colleagues as well as administration would be essential in the collection of crucial data. Team focused techniques would be essential in the determination of information as well as team brainstorming and team motivation. The model will also need benchmarking with the aim of enhancing comparison between the current and desired state of the nursing practice in relation to the nursing practice. The assessment also focuses on the comparison between the internal and external sources of information with reference to the nursing practice. Identified the needs to integrate cultural competencies in the nursing practice with the aim of enhancing the ability of the nurses to address diverse needs and preferences of the patients

Step 2: Link the Problem, Interventions, and Outcomes

This stage will focus on the integration of standardized classification language. Nurses need to classify the cultural sensitive practices against the non-cultural sensitive practices in the nursing practice as well as components of cultural competency in nursing. It would also be ideal for the nurses to understand manifestations as they develop among patients because of the culturally insensitive treatment. Other secondary effects such as diet issues, emotional problems, and factors that might indicate culture shock among patients should be effective for the enhancement of cultural competencies among nurses as they seek to execute their roles and duties in the workplace.This is examinable through determination of satisfaction of the clients, quality social relations between patients and nurses, ease of work on the side of nurses, and reduced complaints to the administration following the improved efficiency in service and products delivery by the nursing practice.

Step 3: Synthesize the Best Evidence

Nurses within the institution will have the obligation of executing quality and extensive literature review on the influence of cultural competency in the context of nursing practice. This information is critical towards execution of a quality and appropriate comparison between the desired state and the current state with reference to the integration of cultural competency in the nursing practice. One of the critical reviews essential for the achievement of the goals and targets of the third stage is Beach (2005) in which various programs are useful in implementation with the aim of enhancing cultural competency training. Campinha-Bacote (2002) will also offer adequate means on how cultural competency will be integrated or delivered in nursing practice. Tervalon & Murray-Garcia (1998) also offer very empathic influence on the implications of cultural competency training and achievement of humility in the nursing practice's workplace. It is also essential to understand the needs and influence of eliminating cultural differences and disparities in the healthcare sector in accordance to Calvillo & Fongwa (2007). These studies are critical and instrumental in pursuing cultural competency compliance within the nursing practice.

Step 4: Design Practice Change

Cultural competency in the nursing practice will require participatory involvement or group orientation relating to nurses from departments with each representative for the development or drafting of the procedures and protocols towards the achievement of the goals and objectives. The team will be endowed with cultural awareness and training with the aim of promoting the ultimate goal of the design as development of culturally sensitive nurses. Informative literature and evidence base will be essential in the development and execution of activities of the representative from each department. The design will focus on the integration of pilot training on cultural competence for about five nurses from each department thus the consequential monitoring and evaluation plan for the evident changes.

Step 5: Implement and Evaluate the Change in Practice

During this stage, the five representatives from each department will undergo close monitoring and evaluation following the training process with the aim of identifying evident changes after training. The stage will also focus on highlighting of the issues and prohibitive factors in order to integrate adequate solution to the problems arising under the influence of the pilot-study. The step should focus on identification of improvements as implications of cultural competency aiming to integrate positive elements while eliminating negative developments during the training. The management of the health institution should be involved at this stage to facilitate identification of the viable changes thus sensitizing the nurses culturally and making them successful at the workplace.

Step 6: Integrate and Maintain the Change in Practice

This stage will oversee replication of the entire project or design in a larger scale in relation to the nursing practitioners at the workplace. This will also oversee replication of the positive outcomes of the pilot study. This is vital to ensure constant communication with stakeholders and management in order to support the intended changes. Fewer challenges and bureaucracies will depend on the size of an organization. This stage is critical in the development of feasibility, benefits, and critical revisions for the implications in the context of the first quarter of the six-month period span as evident in the case of the PICOT.

Implementation & Evaluation Plan

The first month of the process will focus on random selection of five nurses from each department of the organization to participate in the pilot study. Within the two weeks, the nurses will focus on participating in the pilot program in accordance with the protocols and procedures developed for the departments. The coordinators will focus on the monitoring of the nurses as they undergo cultural training with reference to the pilot study thus an opportunity to note all developments during the encounter.

The coordinators will take two weeks following the end of the pilot study in order to observe and evaluate prohibitive factors experienced during the study. There will be also need to evaluate the key improvements under the influence of cultural treatments and training with reference to the positive and negative implications. The management and various stakeholders should focus on effective planning….....