Bridging Culture and Care: Navigating Nurses’ Role as advocate in Diverse Patient Care

Abstract

Background: Nurse plays important role in advocating patient safety and promotion of care with in the diverse group. Nurse serve as advocate in patient quality care which is important in the promotion of positive outcome thus constituting as voice in the clinical practice. In the clinical practice, nurse patient relationship must establish through fostering active listening, communication and interaction. Despite nurses are reliable and compassionate, cultural barrier remain challenges for the nurses in providing holistic care. This include under representation of the cultural, gender and ethnic diversity in the health care. Understanding and accepting culture difference enable to facilitate, assist and guide the patient through incorporating the values, beliefs and practices of the ethnic group minority will provide opportunity to strengthen the delivery of patient care holistically. Purpose: The aim of study is to explore nurses’ role as an advocate in bridging culture and care in diverse patient. Nurses encounter cultural barriers in the provision of patient care delivery. This  study help to address challenges that nurses experience in handling diverse group. Strengthening nurses role as advocate in promoting patient care and patient safety during patient hospitalization. The study help nurses to be knowledgeable, and skillful in facilitating patient needs. This also help to create strategies that foster meaningful ways that set standard in providing quality and accessible of care in diverse. Methods: The study utilize Husserl Descriptive Phenomenological design which seek to understand the lived experience of the participants. A total of twelve s participant from tertiary hospital in Metro Manila. The inclusion of criteria includes as follow: (1) Registered nurse (2) at least one year of experience (3) able to provide consent (4) currently working in tertiary hospital. The study utilized Colaizzi Method Collaizi method. Results: The study presented three major emergent theme in the study that serve as nurse advocate in the provision of health care towards diverse group. The major themes as follows: (1)  communication strategies advocacy (2) sensitivity care advocacy (3) health literacy advocacy. This the nurses role in enhancing advocacy in bridging the gap between culture and care. Conclusion:  Nurses role in understanding culturally appropriate care is essential in understanding the landscape of health care delivery system for diverse patient. Bridging the gap in culture and care through communications strategies, sensitivity care and health literacy enable the nurses to deliver quality patient care. Embracing nurse advocacy in overcoming barriers establish nurse-patient relationship.